


Across the Cosmos: The Nameless Pharaoh

by spirithorse



Series: Across the Cosmos [1]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Fusion, M/M, Sci-Fi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-04
Updated: 2010-09-04
Packaged: 2017-10-11 11:32:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 41
Words: 168,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/111971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spirithorse/pseuds/spirithorse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An infuriating alien, a little blue box and one Yugi Mutou. Where they are going it won't be safe, won't be quiet, won't be calm. But it is the trip of a lifetime. Based on the BBC series Doctor Who.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: The Time War

**Author's Note:**

> **Author's Note:** Alright, welcome to this epic series and one of my favorite stories to write. Now, with this I tired to combine the Doctor Who universe and the Yu-Gi-Oh characters, because the writing on Doctor Who is simply amazing, so I lean heavily on the Doctor Who universe here. Now, while the action and the order remain basically the same, some of the actions, dialogue and thoughts do not and that's just the way I write things when they are based off something. So, there will be a lot of Doctor Who in here and I hope that things are explained well enough for the readers to get the general gist of what I need them to know. If not, feel free to ask questions.

**Author's Note:** Alright, welcome to this epic series and one of my favorite stories to write. Now, with this I tired to combine the Doctor Who universe and the Yu-Gi-Oh characters, because the writing on Doctor Who is simply amazing, so I lean heavily on the Doctor Who universe here. Now, while the action and the order remain basically the same, some of the actions, dialogue and thoughts do not and that's just the way I write things when they are based off something. So, there will be a lot of Doctor Who in here and I hope that things are explained well enough for the readers to get the general gist of what I need them to know. If not, feel free to ask questions.

Just to get the ball rolling, I will say that the basic background of the character the Doctor is that he is an alien that travels around in time and space. He does have a real name that has (thus far) never been revealed on the show so the people on him just call him the Doctor or Doctor, hence Seto will be labeled like that in with my version of this as well. I also operate under the knowledge that there were others before the Pharaoh as I write about now just like the so dubbed "New Who" operates under that idea. I just don't want to write them. Finally, I have played around with the concept of Gallifrey as it was showed on the show, making it more like Egypt to integrate some of the Yu-Gi-Oh feel into this and I add some of my favorite Doctor Who fandom conclusions as the series progresses.

As always, I hope you enjoy this and I thank you for sticking with me through that extensive author's note.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or Doctor Who; they belong to their respective owners.

**Warnings:** Character death.

****

* * *

**Across the Cosmos: The Nameless Pharaoh**

**Prologue: The Time War**

_There was a war and we lost.  
-The Doctor _

He knelt against the console, pressing his head against it. Tremors ran through his body as he knelt there, his hands rising from their tight grip on the console to place them over his ears. But that still didn't block the sound of the screams. They were in his head, echoing in his head over and over again as they burned.

He didn't know if it was them or if it was himself who let out a wail, his position slipping until he was pressing his forehead against the floor. And still they would not be quiet.

But there was a part of him that didn't want the screams to stop. It meant that they were still alive, that he wasn't the only one out there. Even the few that were left, no matter what they had resorted to in their last days, they were still part of him. He hadn't lived a day in his life without being able to hear them in this head, without fighting against their values that they had tried to impose on him.

He gasped, falling to his side and wrapping one arm around the throbbing stomach wound as absolute silence fell. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to his feet, weakly reaching for the rope that would pull the screen down to his level. His eyes raked over the screen, a sob rising up in his throat, but the motion hurt.

As he had suspected, they were all gone, all the ships that had dotted the skies about his home planet. But, at the same time, his entire planet was gone. Burned away in a last ditch attempt to prevent something desperate. He traced his fingers over the black patch of space that had been his home for so many centuries, despite his nearly eternal quest to distance himself from it, leaving smears of blood over the surface.

He groaned and forced himself up to his feet, his free hand reaching out to hold onto the console of his ship as he began to move around, already feeling his body starting to give up on him. He shook his head, biting his lip. There was still one more thing that he had to do, one more thing to prevent this from happening again.

Bloodied fingers danced over the myriad of keys, some of them partially fixed with pieces of junk. He slowed in his movements, raising his hand to brush over the gently pulsing central column of his ship, soothing the keen that was heard in his head with a soft coo. "It's alright, girl. We're almost done and then we can rest."

The ship gave a rumble, the man tipping his head to one side. He was unsure of what that tone meant, but he was mostly sure that his brain was ceasing to function at full capacity. He chuckled to himself and shook his head.

His fingers stumbled over a few buttons, leaning against the console and coughing, staring at the blood that spattered on the instruments. He gave an apologetic smile at his ship, knowing that she didn't like bodily fluids on the console. Instead of the normal rebuke he got a concerned coo, reaching up unsteadily to stroke the closest part of the console. "I'm fine, my beautiful girl. Don't worry."

There was a rumble as a rebuttal, the man smirking, not willing to risk a laugh again. He settled for a partial shrug, wincing when the motion pulled on his wound. "I've lived long enough anyway."

A few more feeble twists of knobs and taps on keys and he was done, leaning heavily against the console as he felt his ship rock, turning his gaze to the viewing screen. It was done now, the whole war time locked so nothing could get in and out. No one knew the vagaries of time better than he, a Time Lord.

The last Time Lord.

But not for long. Not for very much longer at all.

He reached over to pet his ship, hearing the soft noise that it made. "I'm sorry it has to end like this. You had so much more in you, old girl." He smiled as the ship gave a sound like a soft coo. "Alright, so did I. So much potential. All gone now."

They remained a moment in silence before his ship began keening, the two of them mourning for the loss of their whole race. The call drifted around the infinite rooms that the ship housed within itself, drifting outside but dying there. The whole universe would shake with the fall of Gallifrey, but no one would hear the mourning of the last two survivors.

With a final pat, the man moved away from the console, his tired brown eyes looking around the metal that made up the console and the supports around it. He limped over to the chair that was set back from the console, looking over the gothic theme of the inside of his ship, shaking his head before peeling off his brown velvet jacket and placing in on a chair. He stared at the bloodstains that littered it, absently undoing his cravat before throwing that on the chair as well, the red from his blood standing out against the white fabric.

It was almost over. There was just one more thing to do.

He limped back to the console, one hand still pressed to the wound that was bleeding freely from his stomach. He heard the keens of his ship as he moved, already mourning his death. He trailed a hand over the surface, shushing her gently. His resolve was quickly breaking down with the sounds. His precious ship was scared, scared of being left alone in the world and pitched about on the winds of time without her beloved pilot.

They were the only two left. Why did it have to go down to one? Why did she have to be the one to slowly die out alone?

He bit his lip again, tasting the copper tang of his own blood as he reopened a wound, his fingers tapping against the console. And, in a single moment, he changed his plans. He couldn't leave his partner of millennia alone. He just couldn't.

Besides, she was the only thing he had left of his home.

He pushed away from the console, stumbling to a bit of free space. He raised one hand, like he was making a toast. "For victory."

The TARDIS gave a soft rumble, like an agreement. He laughed, coughing slightly before straightening again, wiping blood from his lips. "For Gallifrey."

It was answered by a keen, the sound hard to hear as he gave up keeping the regeneration back. He wanted the pain to end, the pain from all the little cuts and the large wounds he had sustained in his fight. The pain in his heart and the emptiness in his head, it would remain forever, but that was the price he had to pay.

He had won.

He closed his eyes, spreading out his arms with a sigh and let the change take him. He felt the slight tingle under his skin, like little things running through his veins, dancing along his insides as his body tried to heal itself. It only took a millisecond for it to realize that the normal course of action would not work. So it went to Plan B.

A surge of energy rocked him back onto his heels, his head thrown back as his back bent at an awkward angle, golden energy pouring from every surface of exposed skin. There was no energy to scream around the total reforming of his body, bones snapping and mending as even his basic shape changed, becoming slimmer than he was before and slightly taller.

The energy dissipated making him stumble forward towards the console. The TARDIS hummed in concern, the ship's worry comforted by an unfamiliar stroke by an unfamiliar hand. But she was too used to these kinds of events to be frightened by such a little thing.

The man looked up, blinking slowly before shaking his head, coughing before standing up slowly. He glanced up at the metal supports of the ship, a shiver running through him at the sight. He shook his head before moving around the console, automatically setting the coordinates for a familiar planet, needing something familiar. Maybe it would soothe him.

He clung to the console as the TARDIS took his orders, disappearing from real space and beginning to travel back through time itself, working hard to pinpoint a single time. He waited resolutely until the ship had stopped moving before moving towards the doors, not bothering to go back to get his velvet coat.

The two doors of the TARDIS were shoved open, the man stepping outside and blinking at the evening light. He took a deep breath of the air, waiting for the familiar sense of excitement of a different planet to come, his torso collapsing the next moment, tears beginning to leak from his eyes.

Wiping them away, he trudged over to a low wall nearby, sitting on top of it and burying his head in his hands, crying silently. Unlike times before, there was no comforting feeling of his race in the back of his head, no one there but himself. And that just made it worse, because he had been the one to impose the silence on himself.

He knew exactly how much time had passed, his senses picking up on it easily and marking the seconds that ticked by until two hours had passed and there was nothing left in him. Nothing but the silence that was in his head and the soft voice of his TARDIS.

The man pushed off the wall, surprised to see that a human was looking at him, a vaguely uncomfortable sense coming from him. The human finally seemed to build up his courage, taking a step forward and holding his hand out. "Are you alright, mate?"

He scoffed, his voice dropping low. "They're gone."

"What?"

He looked at the human from the corner of his eye. "They're gone. I'm the only one left."

He pushed away from the wall, leaving the human to stare at him. It didn't matter what one human thought. Nothing really mattered in the face of what he had done. He walked back to the TARDIS, staring at the 1950's police box that hid the inside of his ship. He sighed and pushed the doors in, trudging in.

His eyes widened at what he saw. Gone was the mental and gothic structures that had made up the console before were gone replace with what looked like forked columns of sandstone. He walked to the one closest to him at the end of the ramp, realizing that they were made of coral instead of sandstone like he had thought, and that they were covered with the pictographic writing of his people, the pictures so small that they could only bee seen up close.

He stepped away from the column, moving up towards the console. He ran his fingers around the outer edge, taking in the view screen around the base of the time rotor, which glowed turquoise instead of red. Everything looked more open, more natural in greens and golds, completely different than what the interior of the TARDIS had looked like before.

Both of them had needed this change.

He sighed and patted the TARDIS, walking past the console into the corridor. He wanted to get out of these bloodstained clothes as fast as possible. The reminder was too much for him at the moment. Of course, he would always be the one to bear this burden. He was the one who had killed off his own people.

His hand dropped from the wall as he walked down the hallway, heading for the wardrobe; pacing through the nearly endless corridors and noticing that the TARDIS purposefully kept mirrors out of his sight, which was probably better for the both of them.

He paused at one intersection, looking to where there were two great stone doors. He tensed at the memory, remembering the thing that had once dwelt there, only to be used in the burning of Gallifrey. It was one room that he never wanted to see again.

There was a hurt rumble from the TARDIS and the man moved on, a bit reassured by the promise of his ship. She would move the room far away, as close to the end of her infinite space as she could get. And there she would hide the last remains of their home, an arrangement that suited the both of them the best.

They wanted nothing more to do with those memories. Or, at least, the TARDIS didn't. He, on the other hand, couldn't forget_._ He was the only one left, so it was up to him to keep time in order.

__

* * *

_If you have any questions, as I said before, don't hesitate to ask. But I will warn you, if the question gives away part of the plot, I will probably not answer it fully. Can't just give away the plot like that. ;) Also, this fic will be updated on Saturdays and Sundays, which doesn't mean that I am abandoning Rage Against the Dying of the Light, that one will still be updated on it's normal schedule. I just wanted to start this monster of a fic early because, even with two updates a week, it would take about twenty weeks to post this story in full. And I think that about five months is enough time for me to write the sequel. So, for a while, there will be two fics going for me._

_Please read and review. Criticism is always welcome._


	2. Across the Cosmos: The Nameless Pharaoh

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter One: Yugi**

**Chapter One: Yugi**

"_The first nineteen years of my life nothing happened. Nothing at all, not ever. And then I met a man called 'The Doctor'.__"_

_-Rose Tyler  
_

Buzzing filled the small room, the numbers on the alarm clock a bright red. A moan came from the pile of covers, one hand emerging from it before groping around on the bedside table for the clock. Fingers found the switch and, with a practiced motion, turned the clock off. The arm went limp for a moment before slowly being retracted back under the blankets. No sign of life could be seen for a few moments before, with a groan, a young man threw back the covers.

He stretched, the tattered shirt he wore depicting a magician in purple robes riding up to reveal pale skin with the move. He slithered out from underneath the covers, rustling through his drawers to grab a change of clothes, absently throwing the boxers and shirt that he had slept in onto his bed. The young man pulled on jeans and a black t-shirt, glancing at the small mirror that was in his room to run a hand through his hair.

The young man was short, below the average height, but his hair looked like it was trying to make up for that. It rose into spikes, black tipped with red, the fact that he had obviously inherited the family penchant for spiky hair a constant annoyance to his mother. His face was framed by blonde bangs that hung down in jagged locks, a small one sitting on his forehead. Sleepy violet eyes peered back at him through the small mirror, the young man taming his hair into its usual shape before stepping out into the hallway of their small apartment.

He yawned again, padding down the hall in an attempt not to wake his mother. He had heard her come in late last night, probably out with her friends. He walked into the living room, turning to head for the kitchen. As usual, he paused at the small bookshelf that they had set up under the small window from the kitchen into the living room, pressing his fingertips against a particular one. "Morning, Grandpa."

The smiling face of his grandfather, one that he had never met, responded like he always did; with absolute silence. The young man chuckled to himself, walking into the kitchen and starting the water boiling. His mother would be forcing herself to wake up, wanting to make sure that her 'little boy' got off to work fine. He rolled his eyes at the thoughts, munching on the dry piece of toast that he had made for himself as he worked. With nothing to do but wait, he leaned against the counter of the kitchen and looked around their small apartment.

It was better than some, but still not top of the line. Five rooms in total; two bedrooms, a bath, kitchen and living room and all were minuscule. But it was enough for him and his mother, no one else really lived here, not even his girlfriend stayed for long periods of time.

He finished off his toast as he heard his mother moving about in her bedroom. He pushed away from the counter, pouring the boiled water into two mugs, walking out of the living room as his mother stumbled out, still looking exhausted. "Good morning, Yugi."

"Morning, Mom."

"Are you rushing off again?" Yugi smiled and looked at the clock, his eyes widening before he began to gulp his tea. His mother shook her head, taking that as his response. Yugi dashed into the kitchen to place his mug in the sink before running back into the living room, brushing his mother's blonde hair away from her cheek to give her a kiss before rushing back to his room, shoving his wallet and keys into his pocket. As he walked to the door, cramming his feet into his shoes, he could hear her picking up the phone.

Yugi rolled his eyes as he shouldered open the door, his mother was probably talking with her friends, probably about finding a job. But as least she got out more than he did. All he did was go out with Joey and Miho, and even those events were rare.

He trotted down the stairs of his apartment complex, nearly breaking into a run as he hit the ground floor. The door between himself and the pavement outside was easily opened, Yugi walking quickly across it to the bus stop.

He sighed mourning the loss of time to himself now that he was grown up. He ran a hand through his hair again, picking up the pace as he noticed that the bus had arrived. Yugi jogged to the back of the line, digging out his pass and showing it to the driver before finding the first available seat and settling down for the ride into the center of Domino city.

His gaze moved automatically to the window, watching the scenery pass without any real thought. He had taken this route so many times he could follow it with his eyes closed and he had on the mornings he had not been fully awake. Yugi fell into a trace-like state, watching the buildings pass as his mind ran on automatic.

He was nineteen, ever since this June, nineteen years old and he still lived with his mother. Not that it was a bad thing. With this economy it saved money for the both of them. Before he was even born his father had run off, leaving his mother to retreat back to his grandfather's house. He had been born there and lived there for the first few months of his life, months that he couldn't remember anything from. They had moved out of the small game shop that his grandfather had owned at the time when Sugoroku Mutou had been hit by a car, the driver of the other car never caught.

That was when his mother had moved them into the small apartment, working hard at any job she could find to keep Yugi in school. They had even saved up enough money to send him to college at the local school, something that Yugi had been looking forward to. But then the economy had taken a nose dive and he hadn't even finished high school. Senior year with only a month to go, he had dropped out to help his mother pay the bills. College was a lost dream.

Yugi stood up at his stop, making his way to the front of the bus as the vehicle came to a halt and walking out with the rest of the people. Immediately he turned left, walking down a block to where he worked, a big game store named the Black Clown, the most successful gaming store still open. He had started life in a game shop and was now working for one to stay afloat.

On very good days, Yugi found the irony hilarious.

Still, it was a job, something to keep money coming in since his mother was between jobs. Of course, her friends were helping her out, but they seemed more inclined to keep Junri Mutou to themselves. Yugi shook his head as he came to the entrance of the building. He pushed open the door to the store, greeting the employees as he walked to his station, not even having to consult the chart in the workroom anymore. They would find ways to put him out working the aisles and helping people, even though he hated it with all his being. Yugi would prefer to work in the stock rooms or with inventory where there were few people to talk with and his natural shyness wouldn't impede him.

With the store opening in three minutes, Yugi strolled up the card aisle, smiling at the packs that they had hung up for display. From all the stories that his mother had told him, his grandfather hadn't sold any of the new electronic games at his shop, instead focusing on the only classics or games that had to be played with two people. That was probably why he was so at home among these types of games, used to them from his stored memories of childhood.

Yugi perked up at the sound of people coming in, peeking around the end of an aisle to see the first few customers of the day trickling in. He swallowed back his nervousness, something that still affected him, before moving back down the aisle, smiling as he spotted the blonde mop of hair that was his friend.

Joey paused only long enough to give him a wave before they both moved to do their jobs. And that was the most communication with his long time friend that he had these days, Joey busy trying to send his sister to medical school and keep himself and his girlfriend afloat. But Mai was good for him.

Yugi smiled to himself, absently fixing the cards that had fallen off their shelves. In a few hours he would get his lunch break and meet up with his girlfriend who worked across the way in a beauty parlor where Miho would attempt to talk his ear off to cheer him up. But Miho thought he was depressed all the time, which he wasn't. Miho was just one of those naturally happy people who could never seem to be down, which was one of the things he liked about her.

The smile disappeared from his face as he realized that he hadn't spoken to her since lunch two days ago, their breaks not coinciding those two days. But he had been busy with the rent and the vague idea of trying to go back to college again, a dream that had been thoroughly squashed once he had calculated the figures. Life had demanded his attention, but Miho wouldn't like the fact that they hadn't been in constant contact.

He sighed and rubbed his forehead. Just another day.

* * *

Yugi sighed with relief when the announcement came over the intercom system that the store was closing, slumping against the sturdy display. It always felt like this at the end of the day, like he was drained off all his energy. The fact that Miho had been cold and distant towards him hadn't helped any.

She was angry that he hadn't found the time for her amidst the rush of other things that he had to do and the fact that he stumbled home at about seven every night and felt like he wanted to sleep right then and there. He supposed that it was just her time of month and left it at that, his exhausted mind not wanting to deal with anything else at the moment.

He pushed away from the display, his shoulders slumping forward as he walked to the front of the store. A nudge from beside him had him looking up with a smile, Joey smiling back. "Hey Yug'."

"Hi Joey."

"You free tonight?" Yugi winced at the question, already knowing that the answer was no. His mother had probably been out with friends all day, which meant that he had to cook dinner for the both of them. That and he had to find some way to apologize to Miho for the perceived slight.

Reluctantly, Yugi shook his head. "Not tonight. Friday?"

He offered the day hesitantly, hoping that Joey would be free as well. He missed the company of his best friend, having lived too long in the silence of his own head, worrying about money and his mother.

To his relief, Joey gave an empathetic nod. "Sure. Friday would work better for me actually." The blonde scratched the back of his neck. "Mai could make it that day too. So Friday, the usual place?"

Yugi gave a nod of agreement, the smile on his face refusing to dim. He was finally getting some time to live after what seemed like ages. His hand went to grab at the handle of the front door, stopping as someone grabbed his shoulder. The smile that seemed to want to go on forever died there as he looked up at the manager's face. "Could you go get Wilson? He's still back doing inventory."

He sighed and nodded in agreement, giving Joey a farewell wave before trudging back through the aisles to the elevator that led to the basement. He jabbed the button to the basement with a little more force than needed, fuming to himself. For once he wanted to get home without any complications, but he felt that he owed it to his manager. After all, the man was very understanding, even allowing him to come in later on the anniversary of his grandfather's death when his mother would, inevitably, drink herself to sleep.

The elevator rocked to a stop, Yugi waiting for the doors to open before stepping out into the concrete hall. He blinked as he realized that this was the only part of the shop that didn't have music blaring through the speakers, the quiet a sharp contrast to the noise that Yugi was used to living with. Suddenly feeling like he was being watched, Yugi began to sneak through the hallway, heading for the main storage room.

He knocked on the door, part of him wondering why he was doing that, before slightly pushing it open. Yugi poked his head through the opening, staring into the darkness of the room before opening the door further, a small square of light appearing. "Wilson?"

His own words echoed back to him, a sound interrupting the eerie silence. Yugi cleared his throat and took a step forward, suddenly reluctant to let his hand come away from the door. Sinister shadows were created from the shelves that held boxes and discarded items. He cleared his throat nervously before trying again. "Wilson, they're closing up! You should head up while someone is still here!"

There was still no answer, some sixth sense telling Yugi to leave. He pushed the feeling away, backing out of the main room and into the hallway. He paused before moving to the smaller storeroom that they had, opening the door and stepping into the junk that was held in there. Yugi jumped at the sight of plastic mannequins, hastily reminding himself that they were just part of the junk that hadn't been thrown out. He moved through the piles of stuff, clearing his throat before calling again. "Wilson?"

Yugi froze at the squeak from behind him, tipping his head to the side and seeing nothing. Shivering, he ventured further into the room, trying to keep as quiet as possible. He nearly froze again at the squeaking sound, his brain identifying it as plastic moving against plastic. Yugi turned around, his eyes widening as he stared at the mannequin that had stood behind him, remembering that it had been awkwardly propped up by the door before. More squeaking came from around him, Yugi pivoting in place to see that other mannequins were walking towards him.

He sidled around the first one, trying to walk calmly back to the doors, reaching out to open them only to find that they were locked. Losing control, he slammed his shoulder against them twice before realizing that they weren't going to open. Yugi stared at the doors, swallowing nervously before turning around, finding that the mannequins had followed him.

He took a step to the side, once again, able to dodge around them. There was a way out on the other side of the room, if he could get to it. Yugi jumped as more appeared from the side, amazed by the sheer number of the plastic dummies down here. He had thought that there had only been three or four, not the number that were coming at him.

"Is this some kind of joke?" He gave a nervous laugh at the end of his question, feeling his stomach drop as one of the mannequins tipped their head to the side, the action predatory. Yugi stumbled backwards, heading for the other side of the room where the doors were, one hand held a bit further back so he wouldn't bump into anything. He narrowed his eyes as more of the mannequins appeared. "We'll it's not funny. Stop."

They didn't, continuing to move forward until Yugi realized he was surrounded, looking over his shoulder only to leap for the door that he had been heading for, giving a cry of disbelief when it proved to be locked as well. He pushed away from the door as one of the dummies began to cut off his escape route, successfully pinning him against the wall.

Yugi cowered against the wall, breathing quickly as he watched the mannequins stop, arranging themselves so there was no way out. His eyes widened as they raised one arm as a group, probably meaning to kill him. He whimpered, pressing himself back against the wall and closing his eyes, not wanting to see his death coming like that.

His eyes shot open as a slightly cold hand grabbed onto his own, Yugi turning his head to get a glimpse of brown hair and blue eyes before the person spoke. "Run!"

Yugi was pulled away from the wall, slipping out through a small space in the circle of mannequins as they lunged forward to catch him. He found himself being towed down the hallway by the man who had saved him, his hand still held tightly. He was about to look at his rescuer only to hear the doors they had just escaped out of being shoved open and the mannequins stumbling after them. He looked forward again to see other mannequins peeking out of smaller rooms.

He was jerked down a small hallway that led to the elevator back to the first floor of the shop, frantically trying to keep up with the taller man, envious of his longer legs. They stumbled back out into the open, finding still more plastic figures waiting for them.

Yugi gaped at them for a moment before he was aware of being dragged somewhere. He was nearly thrown into the elevator, his rescuer jumping in through the closing doors. Yugi was about to stammer his thanks when one of the plastic dummies shoved its arm through the door, keeping it from closing.

Without hesitation, his rescuer grabbed the arm and pulled backwards, yanking it free of the person after a few tugs with a cold laugh before staring at it and flinging it over his shoulder. Yugi scrambled to catch the arm, staring at it with shock. His rescuer turned back to look at him, raising an eyebrow. "You were expecting a joke with that?"

"You tore his arm off!" He rescuer just shrugged, Yugi taking the lull to look over the person who had saved him.

The man was tall, very tall compared to Yugi, his brown hair of a medium length with some of it threatening to fall into his blue eyes. The man wore a long-sleeved black shirt with loose black pants over boots, Yugi's attention drawn by the long coat that the man wore. It was white on the outside with a red lining that came to about mid-calf and had the tendency to flare whenever the man moved. The coat had no sleeves and wasn't buttoned up, hanging over the man's frame.

Yugi jumped as the man cleared his throat, raising one eyebrow. It was only then that he realized that he had been staring. Trying to cover up his blunder, Yugi toyed with the plastic arm that he still held. "So, what were those things? Students?"

The man gave what sounded like a snort of disgust, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at the elevator doors as the rode slowly up. "Students?"

"Yeah." Yugi glared at the back of the man's head. "To have that many people doing something as crazy as that, it has to be students."

The man turned around, one eyebrow still raised. It could have been Yugi's imagination, but he though it saw some genuine emotion in those eyes, but it was gone before he could think more about it, the cold glare back. "They're not students."

"Well, whoever they are will be in trouble for sneaking down here." Yugi winced and nearly hit his own forehead with the plastic arm, grinning sheepishly at the last moment. "Wilson is still down there."

"Wilson?"

"The guy that was down here checking the stock. Kind of-"

"Wilson is dead." The elevator rocked to a stop, the man walking out of the doors before Yugi could get a word in. Instead, he just followed his rescuer out, clinging to the plastic arm. He just couldn't get his mind around the fact that Wilson was dead, even letting himself be shoved to one side as the man took out a cylinder that seemed to be made of metal and coral. "Close your eyes."

Yugi did as he was ordered, turning his head to the side. He heard a faint buzzing noise before a clatter of metal, turning around in time to see the man shove the cylinder back into his pocket. He was grabbed by the shoulders and pushed down the hall, recognizing that they were heading for the employee exit in the back of the building. He was about to protest the rough treatment he was getting when the man began to speak again.

"They're living plastic controlled by a relay device on the roof which I plan to blow up. I'll probably die in the process." The hands on his shoulders tightened as Yugi went to protest the action. "My plans would be ruined if there was another person here, more questions and more delay and things don't get done. So," the door at the end of the hall was opened, Yugi gently pushed out into the night, "go home and do…whatever it is you do."

"But-"

"Don't tell anyone about this, unless you want them dead." The door slammed shut, Yugi staring at it in a sort of awe. Not sure what to do be began to back away, jumping when the door opened suddenly again, the man looking angry for some reason. "I'm the Pharaoh. Who are you?"

"Yugi."

The Pharaoh inclined his head in a sort of greeting, Yugi's attention drawn to the beeping device in his hand. The man gave off a smile that looked less than sane and gave the device a little wave. "Good. Now, run for your life."

The door slammed shut again, Yugi backing down the alley he was in, still gripping the plastic arm. Unsure of what to do, he went with the order that he had been given, sprinting out of the alleyway and onto the sidewalk. He circled around to the front of the building, pausing long enough to look both ways before tearing across the street, making an awkward jump to avoid the car that came speeding up at the last minute. He ignored the angry shouts from the driver of the car, not resting until he had reached the other side of the street.

He grinned, feeling sheepish for acting like that now he was away from that man and those creepy things. Yugi rolled his shoulders, staring down at the plastic arm he held in his hand, shaking his head before beginning to walk down the sidewalk. There would be some kind of dumpster on the way back home, he would toss it in there.

The good feelings that he had suddenly disappeared at the large explosion he heard behind him, feeling the wave of heat hit him as he heard the windows shattering. Yugi spun around, staring at the place that he had once worked as the fire burned merrily inside of it, barely paying attention to the panicking people who were running around.

Yugi swayed on the spot, his mouth open in shock before he finally turned and ran, wanting to get away from the burning building as fast as he could. His feet automatically headed for home, the plastic arm still clutched in one hand. He spotted something blue out of the corner of his eye but he dismissed it as unimportant immediately. He ran past the old 1950s police box without a second thought, wanting to be somewhere safe as quickly as possible.

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* * *

_Please read and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome._


	3. Hello Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter Two: Hello Again**

**Chapter Two: Hello Again**

"_Well what else is there? I mean you lot, all you do is eat chips, go to bed and watch telly. While all the time underneath you there's a war going on."_

_-The Doctor_

The television flashed merrily, showing pictures of firefighters battling the blaze that rose from the place that he had once worked, Yugi barely glancing up as his mother walked into the room, talking frantically with one of her friends on the phone. He reached up automatically to accept the cup of tea that his mother brought him, the motion bringing the plastic arm into his line of vision. Yugi shivered and cupped his hand around the mug of tea, looking up as his mother's voice suddenly registered.

"Yes! My little angel is lucky to be alive!" There was a pause before his mother was walking across the room again. "Yes. Yes. Hold on, there's someone on the other line." Yugi watched as his mother pulled the phone away from her ear, pressing a button before raising the button again and listening for a moment. "Bev, he's alive! Yes, alive and sitting on my couch! My poor baby!"

Yugi rolled his eyes with a smile, taking a sip before directing his gaze back to the television, not as worried about the whole situation as he should be. But he was just assuming that the shock would set in later. He leaned back into the sofa, closing his eyes with a sigh and hoping to relax. Unfortunately, his mother took that moment to move back into the room, still chatting loudly. "I agree, he should be given compensation. He was nearly blown up!"

There was a pause in her endless talking, both Yugi and Junri looked over at the door, his mother sneering. "Oh, Miho is here."

Yugi shot a glare at his mother, the action not bearing much weight since she had already turned away. His mother didn't approve of his girlfriend for the usual motherly reasons, thinking that her son could do so much better, hanging onto the dream that Yugi would marry a nice girl, not a high school drop out like himself.

He didn't have much time to think before Miho charged into the room, immediately spotting him and bursting into tears. Yugi hastily put his tea on the coffee table, saving it from being spilled all over himself and the couch as Miho launched herself at him, cuddling him close. The shoulder of his t-shirt was soaked through quickly as she sobbed, Yugi feeling the air being squeezed out of him slowly.

"I'm sorry, darling! I shouldn't have been such a bitch to you." Yugi blushed, looking over Miho's head to see his mother still talking on the phone, but now glaring at the two of them. He awkwardly tried to comfort his girlfriend. Miho gave a pitiful sniffle. "You _are_ busy, I understand, but I miss being able to spend time with you. And to think that I almost lost you!"

She broke into even louder sobs, Yugi saved from drowning by the entrance of Joey, breathing a sigh of relief as he blonde friend hurried over. "You scared me buddy."

He gave an awkward smile. "Sorry Joey. But I'm fine. I promise."

That drew another wail from Miho, both Joey and Yugi rolling their eyes. They both knew that Miho went through dramatic moments, all too used to ignoring them. His blonde friend moved around Miho and sat down on the sofa, shaking his head at the cup of tea that rested on the coffee table. "Is that what you're drinking, Yug'? Nah, you need something stronger!"

"Joey…" He rolled his eyes and attempted to sit down, only sinking down as Miho continued to hang onto him. The two shared a look, knowing that Yugi wouldn't be able to move for hours when Miho was like this.

The blonde sighed before nodding, poking his friend's shoulder before standing up. "Friday, remember."

"Friday." Yugi replied with a smile, sitting up slightly to point at the plastic arm thrown into the closest chair. "Could you get rid of that for me, Joey?"

"Sure bud." The blonde picked it up, examining it before snorting and waving at Yugi with it. Yugi laughed and waved his own farewell, laughing as Joey proceeded to attempt to strangle himself with the fake arm, both boys breaking into laughter until Miho sat up, wiping tears from her face. "This is _not_ a time to be laughing! My Yugi almost died!"

Joey took the chance to run out of the apartment, Yugi forced to settle back onto the sofa and Miho continued to cuddle with him, his eyes rolling to the clock and counting down the seconds until he could get away with the excuse that he was tired.

On the street outside the apartments, Joey walked back to his apartment, whistling a tune before tossing the plastic arm carelessly into one of the dumpsters nearby, shoving his hands in his pockets before walking on. He was too distracted to hear the sounds of something scrambling around in the dumpster, his mind already focused on what was waiting for him when he got home.

* * *

The Pharaoh stormed back into the TARDIS, hastily brushing himself off. He looked up at the hum from the ship, pausing long enough to brush his hand down a column to reassure her that he was alright. Then he was off again, walking around the console. "Stupid humans."

There was a slight rebuke from his ship, the Pharaoh ignoring it and continuing to work. He jumped as the TARDIS shocked him, glaring up at the ceiling before slumping into the seat that was in across from the doors of the ship. He ran his hand over his face, sighing before looking up at his ship, the start of a smile crossing his face. "It worked."

A rumble answered him, reminding him that he hadn't been able to hide his secret hope from the TARDIS, and his ship was a little hurt by it. He shook his head, leaning back and throwing an arm over the back of the seat, smiling up at the ceiling. "I told you not to worry about me. I'm fine."

It seemed like the TARDIS was about to argue back, but the ship remained silent for a moment, the two of them collecting themselves. It was the TARDIS who gave him a little nudge in his mind, bringing up the picture of the human that he had met today, his mind trying to retrieve the name that the human had given him.

What was it again? Oh, Yugi.

The Pharaoh shrugged, changing his fond look to a glare. "I fail to see why he is important."

His ship gave a soft coo, almost making the Pharaoh laugh. "That you think he's cute has nothing to do with anything." There was another nudge, making him shake his head. "I'm not getting you a pet."

An unhappy growl came from the ship, the Pharaoh realizing that his teasing was falling a bit short today. He sat up straight, staring at the time rotor. "I don't need him with me. He's just a human, so stop. You've done this every time and-"

He paused at the beeping from the console, standing up and walking over to the screen, pulling it around so he could see it better. He stared at the layout of the city, watching a red dot flash in one spot. He blinked and glared, tipping his head to the side. A signal? But that meant that it just wasn't one patch.

His hands clenched by his sides before he began to move around the console, moving back often to the screen to be sure that he was putting the correct coordinates in. His hand hovered over the lever that would send them off, staring at the screen in case the signal disappeared. He pulled down on the lever, pitching forward slightly as the TARDIS began to rock, following the signal. A grin passed over his face as he walked around the console, reaching for things to help his ship along.

This was the only time he felt happy or any emotion close to happy. Everything else had little to no meaning anymore. No spark, no nothing. But he kept doing what he had done before because someone had to.

He pulled away from the console, his hand reaching into his pocket as he walked towards the door. The Pharaoh eased open the doors, taking the sonic screwdriver from his pocket and holding it up to his ear, adjusting the setting before moving off, following the beeping that the device admitted. This little tracking job would be over soon enough.

* * *

The alarm clocked buzzed, waking Yugi up at seven-thirty again. He groaned and turned it off, getting partway out of bed before he remembered. He didn't have a job; it had been blown up the night before. He had stayed up half the night trying to comfort Miho and convince her that he hadn't died before slumping off to bed at about one, which was why he felt like he was run over by a train.

He rolled out of bed more out of habit than a need to get up, shuffling down the hallway to the kitchen. Still on automatic pilot he set water boiling, fixing himself some tea as he lead back against the counter, still in his pajamas. He only managed a moment of mental stillness before he groaned, rubbing his face with his hands. He needed to find another job so they could stay here, or start bugging his mother for one. But he didn't like the idea of staying home with nothing to do.

Yugi pushed away from the counter when the water was done, taking the two mugs of tea and placing them on the small table they had in the living room before walking back to his room, pulling on the first pair of clean clothes that he had, jeans and a white t-shirt, almost replicating his school uniform from his days in high school. He walked back out of his room, waving to his mother as he flopped down at the table, holding his head in his hands.

Junri ran a comforting hand over his shoulders before picking up her mug and sitting at the table, her hair still wet from a shower that Yugi had never heard running, too lost in his thoughts. He offered her a strained smile before reaching for his tea, wrapping his hands around the warm mug. "I need to find another job."

"You need some time to act your age instead of forty." Junri gave him a light tap, leaning back against a chair. "Give it a few weeks and it will turn up. I'm close to getting a job."

Yugi smiled at her, but shook his head. It was how he existed now, getting up early to earn a small amount of money to keep them going. He didn't really know how to get back to normal. He ran a hand through his hair and sat back, watching as his mother moved back to her room. "You should get compensation. Arianna got," she waved her hand trying to remember the amount but ended up shaking her head, "some because some man said she looked Greek."

"Mom," Yugi turned around in his chair, Junri pausing outside of her room and holding her robe closed with one hand, "Arianna is Greek."

His mother shrugged and disappeared into her room, leaving Yugi to slump and shake his head. He didn't know exactly when he had fallen into this rut, but he had and he hadn't noticed it until now. And, suddenly, he wanted out. He couldn't remember the reasons for half the things he was doing, his logic skewed by the pounding thought it his head not to let them go under, not to let his mother go under. That, he could understand, but some of the other things…

Number one, letting his friendship with Joey degrade to the point where both of them were satisfied by waves. They had been best friends all through high school, even though Joey had to drop out as well, struggling to keep afloat after his father had died and his mother had gone off. He had his sister to think about and Joey understood that Yugi was worrying about his mother. But Junri's phase was over and she was actively searching for jobs, he had seen her in her best clothes coming from interviews. And he could trust her about things like that.

Number two was dating Miho. He didn't know why when he had started and he didn't know why now. Possibly it was him trying to prove to his mother that he wasn't gay, a fact that didn't matter to her after all and a fact that still eluded him now. But Miho had been a nice girl, still was if one could get over her more dramatic moments, which seemed to be happening more and more often. She was working become a model or an actress or a singer, something that would get her into the public light, someplace that Yugi wanted to avoid with all of his being. And yet, their relationship had strung out for years without him doing anything about it.

He rubbed his temples, knowing that it was too early for this kind of contemplation. It just made his head hurt. Yugi groaned and pushed his chair away from the table, about to take his now empty mug of tea to the kitchen when he heard the cat flap on their door open and something scurry in. He rolled his eyes and changed directions, walking to the front door. "I thought you said that you nailed the cat flap shut mom!"

"I did, last Monday!" Yugi rolled his eyes and knelt on the ground, using the one hand that wasn't holding his mug to pick up a nail that had come out of the flap. He stared at it, turning it around in his fingers. His mother _had_ nailed the cat flap shut, he had watched her. Then why…

Yugi jumped as the flap twitched inward, putting down the nail and leaning over to swing the flap outwards, getting a glimpse of a familiar pair of blue eyes on the other side before the man disappeared, Yugi jumping to his feet, unlocking the door and pulling it open. The man who called himself the Pharaoh was on the other side, looking as confused as he was.

"What are you doing here?"

Yugi was sure his jaw must have dropped at that question, gathering himself together. "I live here."

"What do you do that for?" He almost saw a smile on the Pharaoh's face, the man seeming to enjoy the insults that were being thrown at Yugi. Yugi scowled at the man, the expression wavering as he watched the Pharaoh consult that same cylinder as before, eyes widening as the blue tip lit up and the buzzing sound returned. "Something must be functioning on the same wavelength…unless you're plastic."

Before Yugi could comment, the man rapped his knuckles against his forehead, Yugi's mouth dropping open again as the Pharaoh smirked. "Nope, just an idiot. Bye."

He growled and pulled the man in, ignoring the look of disgust that crossed the Pharaoh's face with the motion. Yugi slammed the door shut, gesturing with the hand that still held the mug. "You are going to explain this."

"Yugi, who's there?"

"Someone about that compensation, Mom." He leveled a glare at the Pharaoh, daring him to say otherwise before stomping to the kitchen. He nearly flung the mug in the sink, coming out of the kitchen to see the man leaning against the doorway to his mother's room, amiably chatting with her. Yugi wanted to through his hands up into the air in frustration. Why was it that _he_ was the one antagonized by this man and yet his mother could get the nice side to come out?

"I'm in my dressing gown and there's a strange man in my room?"

"Yes, there is."

Yugi almost gagged. His mother was _flirting_ with him! He moved back into the living room, leaning against a wall. There was nothing about that man that was the least bit attractive…except maybe the eyes. But that was it!

"Anything could happen."

There was a pause, Yugi almost ready to grab his keys and run from the house when the Pharaoh spoke up again.

"No."

Yugi made sure to move as the Pharaoh walked into the living room, a look of disgust on his face. He had to smother a laugh before going to stand in the doorway of the kitchen, wanting something to lean on. He watched as the man made his way through the living room, looking at a few things before staring at pictures of his family, a faint smile crossing his face before backing away. He wandered to where the mail was resting on the table. The Pharaoh glanced at it before looking up at him.

"You're Yugi Mutou."

"Yes."

The man nodded, seeming to be about to say something when he caught his reflection in the mirror. He stared at it for a while before shrugging, catching Yugi's eyes in the reflective surface. "It could have been worse."

Brushing off the comment that seemed to come from nowhere, Yugi pushed away from the door he was leaning on, walking forward. "Listen, I think we should go to the police and since _you_ are the one who know all about this stuff I think _you _should be the one to-"

He stopped at the sound of rapid tapping, his eyes rising to meet the Pharaoh's before going back to the floor. He could feel the tension in the room rise, his eyes moving around quickly. Yugi glanced back up at the Pharaoh as he shifted, the cylinder in his hand again. "Do you have a cat?"

Yugi shook his head. "Never did. The apartment came with the cat flap."

Without speaking, they spread out, walking cautiously around the living room. Yugi walked over to the sofa, kneeling on the cushions before peeking over the back. He got a glimpse of something moving before it lunged for him. Yugi tried to gasp, fingers tightening around his throat as the plastic arm grabbed a hold. He slid down onto the cushions, clawing at the fingers around his neck, the hairdryer turning on in the distance.

For a moment, the fingers seemed to relax before they closed again, this time even tighter around his throat. Yugi gasped for breath, his fingers going limp on the plastic arm as he slumped, his vision blurring as he was strangled. A shape moved across the room, the buzzing of the cylinder interrupting the noise from the hairdryer, getting higher pitched the longer it went on.

He jolted forward as the arm finally let go, colliding with the Pharaoh and sending them both tumbling to the ground, the Pharaoh rolling at the last minute so he was on top. If the man noticed the awkward position they were in, he didn't seem to notice. Yugi stared, very aware of the weight that was pressing down on him in an almost comfortable manner.

"Killed it." The Pharaoh smiled, Yugi shaking his head before hazy thoughts brought about by his lack of air. He grabbed the arm and used it to hit the man, shoving him off of him and going to sit on the couch.

"I told Joey to throw this out…" He stared at it for a while longer before throwing it to one side. "Why are these things after me?"

"After you?" The man laughed, getting up to sit in one of the chairs. "What, does the world revolve around you suddenly? You keep getting in my way, blundering in last night and blundering in this morning."

His mouth dropped open as the man stood up, grabbing the plastic arm and walking off. Yugi couldn't do anything but stand there and watch him go, the man walking out the door before Yugi jumped from his seat, rushing after him. "Wait!"

The man looked over his shoulder as they walked towards the stairs that led to the pavement below. "I don't need you following me."

"But I want to know what's going on." Yugi jogged to catch up with the Pharaoh, panting as he tried to keep up with the taller man. "That thing almost killed me and I think I have a right to know!"

"Is thinking a new experience for you?"

Yugi nearly screamed, running down the stairs and beating the man to the door out, blocking the exit. It wasn't until the man came to a stop in front of him that he realized that the move accomplished nothing. The man could easily push him aside and Yugi could do nothing about it, but Yugi still stood firm. "I could tell the police. You said people would die if I did that."

He watched the man's eyebrows rise, the Pharaoh shifting to cross his arms over his chest. "And you would do that? You would get people killed just because you want to know about this."

Yugi hesitated, biting his lip before stepping aside in surrender. He couldn't do that, he had known it was an empty threat all along. It just wasn't in his nature to resort to violence. Yugi stood pressed himself back against the wall to allow the man through, staring at the ground as he waited for the Pharaoh to move, still feeling his stare on him.

There was a sigh and a mutter from the man, the language different from the ones that Yugi was used to hearing, the sound making him look up suddenly. The Pharaoh looked at him for a long time before nodding, walking forward. Yugi stepped aside and let the door slam shut, deciding that he would try and walk down to talk to Joey. He was about to head off in that direction when he heard the Pharaoh stop walking. Yugi blinked and turned to face him, confusion on his face. "Are you coming or not, Yugi?"

__

* * *

_Please read and review. Criticism is always welcome._


	4. Across the Cosmos: The Nameless Pharaoh Chapter 3:The Turn of the Earth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter Three: The Turn of the Earth**

**Chapter Three: The Turn of the Earth**

"_The Doctor is a legend woven throughout history. When disaster comes he's there. He brings a storm in his wake and has one constant companion."_

_-Clive_

He jogged after him, the Pharaoh setting off at a face pace. Yugi rolled his eyes, walking as quickly as he could just to have to keep up. The two walked in silence for a while, Yugi sure that the Pharaoh was making sure that they were away from most people before he talked, but Yugi's patience was running low at the moment. He rubbed his throat as he thought, wincing as he felt the bruise there. "So is Pharaoh just a nickname?"

"No. It's just the Pharaoh."

"Just…the Pharaoh?"

He got a curt nod as a response, ending that conversation. Yugi sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "So, what are those things here for? Do they, I don't know, want to cut out the competition in stores or something?"

Yugi wanted to flinch at the look the Pharaoh shot him, standing his ground against the gaze. There was a flicker of amusement before the man kept walking, tipping his head back a bit. "No, nothing as simple as that. They want to take over the world, overthrow the human race."

Yugi felt his stomach drop, wanting to ask the man if he was kidding, because that sounded too far fetched to be even possible. And yet, the Pharaoh was being completely serious. Yugi tipped his head to the side, swallowing nervously as they turned down a side street, walking through a neighborhood.

Part of him wanted to laugh and say that this man was crazy, but more of him believed him. He had seen those plastic things and they looked nothing like anything that had been created yet. And he would know, working at a store with the latest updates in technology. But Yugi was torn between those two ideas, his mind always coming back to one fact. They had moved as a group and tried to kill him for no other reason that he had gotten in the way. If it had been a joke, wouldn't the people stopped at that?

The Pharaoh stopped and looked at him, Yugi glancing up and slowing down as well, staring at the man who had saved him. He tipped his head to the side, staring at the Pharaoh as he tried to figure out just exactly what he was thinking. He just didn't know what to think, and that left him vulnerable at the moment.

"Do you trust me?" Yugi jumped at the question, part of him believing that this man could read his mind. And then he saw the slight softening of the blue eyes, like the ice had melted somewhat. Yugi bit his lip and looked away, not ready to answer the question.

"Who are you?"

The Pharaoh sighed, shaking his head and leaning back against the fence of the house they were in front of. "Do you know about the Earth revolving?"

At Yugi's incredulous look, the Pharaoh laughed, reaching out to take pick up his hand, seeming to study it for a while before holding it. "Well remember this then, because I will only say it once, you're smart, Yugi."

Their fingers slid against each other as the Pharaoh took a better hold of his hand, Yugi not quite sure what to make of the sudden sign of affection from the usually cold man. He was about to ask what was going on when the Pharaoh started talking, Yugi stunned into silence again.

"I can feel it, the turn of the Earth. The ground beneath our feet is spinning at a thousand miles an hour, the entire planet is hurtling around the sun at sixty-seven thousand miles an hour, and I can feel it. We're falling through space, you and me, clinging to this tiny world, and if we let go…" their hand slid from each other, Yugi immediately stumbling backwards to cling to the fence, "that's who I am."

Yugi panted as he clung to the fence, trembling as he looked up at the Pharaoh as the man backed away. "Now forget me, Yugi Mutou. Go back home."

He turned and began walking down the street to the blue box that waited on the other side of the quiet street. Yugi took a deep breath, afraid to let go of the fence. He could only watch as the man took a key from his pocket and unlocked the box before stepping in. A moment later the small light on the top was flashing and a grinding sound filled the air, the box flickering in and out of existence before disappearing completely.

Yugi's legs gave out the moment after that, leaving him slumped against the fence, panting for breath. One hand reached up to rest over his pounding heart, like it would calm the racing organ down, his eyes never leaving the spot that the blue box had once stood on.

In that one moment when the Pharaoh had held his hand, he had felt the turn of the Earth, felt it spinning beneath is feet. And it had never felt so out of control before. He would have broken off the contact as soon as the feeling had started, but he was too afraid, the shock of the Pharaoh letting him go almost making him fall over. He had been scared that he would get lost in the moving planet that he was on.

Cautiously he stood up, swaying in place as he realized that he couldn't feel the turn of the Earth anymore, his heart slowing down. Yugi glanced to where the box had been, his stomach rolling as he realized what he was thinking. He _wanted_ to feel that turning again. He couldn't go back to life without thinking about that, without the urge to close his eyes and hope that there would be a faint shift that would bring back that wonderful and frightening feeling.

And, in that moment, he knew that he believed the Pharaoh; he believed this man he knew nothing about.

Yugi swallowed nervously before turning around and running for his apartment. There was a burning need to find out more about this Pharaoh who had walked into his world and completely flipped it over.

He stumbled as ran up the stairs, catching himself before pushing himself onward, listening to his footsteps and his breath, one hand reaching into his pocket for the key to his apartment. He fumbled with the small thing for a moment before managing to unlock the door and shoving it open, catching it before it could slam into the wall.

His mother must have called out a greeting as she usually did, but he didn't hear it, nearly diving into his room and jogging over to the aged PC that sat in there. He turned the computer on, leaning back and waiting for it to boot up. He nearly bounced with impatience, finally hearing his mother as she asked if he was alright. "I'm fine, Mom!"

A quiet chime brought his attention back to the computer, tapping his fingers against the desk as it came to life, immediately taking the mouse and going to the internet. He paused as the search engine loaded up, his fingers brushing over the keyboard as he thought of what to search. There was something inside of him that urged him to move faster, faster without stopping to think, but he was afraid of that little voice.

Swallowing nervously, Yugi looked up at the flashing cursor before typing in what he wanted to search, the appearance of the black words on the white background suddenly making it seem more real, more concrete. These things did exist. He stared at the words 'The Pharaoh blue box' before hitting the search button, swallowing as the computer loaded again.

It felt like he could never go back now.

His eyes ran down the page, widening at the third site that came up. He hesitated over the link, staring at the title of the webpage; The Nameless Pharaoh. It could be an actual Egyptian myth, but Yugi doubted it. Something told him that this was right. His mouse slid over the links, lighting up one titled Dark Game before clicking on the one that he was after it, blinking as a picture appeared.

'Have you seen this man' was written in red above the picture, a familiar face looking right at him, a red circle around his head if he had missed it in the first place. Yugi blinked, a bit disconcerted by the fact that the Pharaoh was the only one looking at something with an expression of anger on his face. Yugi stared at the familiar face before looking down, seeing a link labeled contact Clive.

He hesitated, eyes going up to the picture of the Pharaoh like he could give him advice before clicking on it. He read over the phone number that came up hesitating before walking out into the living room and picking up the phone and dialing the number. He took a few deep breaths as the phone rang, staring at the picture and hoping that he was on the right track.

"Hello?"

"Hi, I found your website and…" Yugi swallowed, "I want to know about the Pharaoh, because I've seen him."

There was silence on the other end before the voice spoke again. "You should come over then."

* * *

"Are you sure that this is safe, darling?" Yugi looked over at Miho, resisting the urge to roll his eyes as she finished curling her newly dyed hair into a bun. He had long since gotten used to the changes that his girlfriend's hair went through. Now it was a blue-black color, different for the blonde that she had been for a month. Her hand dropped down to grab his, Yugi finding himself waiting for something, dismayed when he couldn't feel the slow turn of the earth.

He started ruefully at their joined hands while Miho chattered away. He had met his girlfriend on the bus out here after running out of his apartment, pulling on his jacket and gripping the directions to Clive's house tightly in one hand. Yugi had just managed to calm his shaking when Miho had stepped onto the bus, immediately rushing over to him and hugging him, talking about how she was so glad to see him, announcing to the world that he had survived the horrible explosion at the Black Clown.

Yugi turned down a street, checking the directions in his hand before beginning to walk down it, nearly dragging Miho as he walked along. He looked back at the girl, tipping his head to the side as she dug her heels into the ground. "This is too dangerous, Yugi! I won't let you."

"Miho…"

"You could be kidnapped and then sold into slavery and raped!"

He stopped and blinked at that, thinking that it sounded more like a plot for a television show. Yugi shook his head, continuing to walk on despite the pull on his arm. "He has a wife and kids, Miho."

"But that doesn't mean anything!"

"Look," he turned around, smiling at her, "I have my cell phone and so do you. I can call if I get into trouble. And, if I'm not out in forty minutes or I haven't told you that I will be staying longer, you can call the police."

Miho gave a pathetic sniffle before nodding, letting go of Yugi so he could walk to the door of the house. He looked back at her, watching as she wandered to a nearby bench and sat down. In all honesty, he wished that he could send her away or bring her with him, worrying about her safety. But she had grown up in the same rough conditions as he had, Miho could handle herself.

Yugi sighed and walked up to the house, hesitating for a minute before knocking on the door. A balding portly man answered the door, staring at him in confusion for a moment before snapping his fingers. "You must be Yugi."

"Yeah." He shook the hand that was offered to him, finding himself ushered into the house. He glanced back at Miho before following Clive.

"I have the evidence out in the back."

* * *

Miho sighed and fiddling with her hair, considering taking it down again. It had been forever since Yugi had disappeared into that house and she was bored. She glanced at her watch, pouting when she saw the time that was displayed there. It had only been five minutes. At this rate, he would take forever to come out.

She sighed and tapped her fingers on the bench, glancing at the house before glancing at the road. She was tempted to leave and wander to the stores that were down around this part of Domino, but that would leave Yugi at the mercy at that horrible man. Her eyes narrowed, glaring at the house. No man would ever touch _her_ Yugi.

She shifted the position of her legs, bringing a piece of her hair down to play with as she waited. Perhaps this wouldn't be so bad. She could turn this into a date, snatching away Yugi from the mundane life he usually lived and taking him out for a night on the town. It had been so long since she had seen him smile and she missed that. Yugi had just been so depressed lately, probably because his mother was going through one of her spells.

Miho leaned back on the bench, consciously straightening out her skirt. It would be good for Yugi to just act his age for a bit, maybe smile a bit more. First they would go for dinner, just the two of them, find a cheap place. Then they would call up Joey and Mai and go clubbing. It would be perfect for her poor overworked boyfriend. Maybe the explosion at his work would be good for him.

She jumped as someone walked close to her, calming herself when she saw it was just one of the men who lived here, glaring right back as the man glared at her. She turned her head away with a small huff. What gave him the right to stare at her? Was it so wrong that she tried to make herself attractive for her boyfriend? After all, he was working so hard to help out his mother.

There was a small creak from beside her, Miho jumping and looking at the trashcan, the man gone. She sighed, shaking her head at her own foolishness before leaning back against the bench, returning to staring at the house that Yugi had walked into. Another check out her watch showed that it had only been fifteen minutes. She groaned, fiddling with her phone. Maybe she should text Mai now.

The sound repeated itself, Miho turning, her eyes widening as she saw the trashcan had moved. She was sure of it. Even as she looked at it at this moment, it was trundling forward by inches.

Miho stood up, one hand gripping her cell phone before she laughed at herself, placing it back in her purse and swinging the strap over her shoulder. She wasn't going to call Yugi over a trashcan and some kids playing a prank. She walked over to the trashcan, circling around it to discover that there weren't any kids behind it.

Back at the front of the plastic bin, she stared at it for a while longer before reaching for the cover, opening it up before staring at the empty interior. Miho blinked, briefly wondering why a person would put out a completely empty trashcan before shutting it. She shrugged and went to pull her hands away, gasping as her hands came away from the trashcan with plastic sticking to them in long strands.

She was jerked forward, her hand flat against the top of the trash can again. Miho whimpered and pulled back again, backing up as far as she could to get free. There was a moment when the strands of plastic weren't pulling on her, Miho smiling in relief before she was suddenly jerked forward, her scream smothered as the trashcan opened its lid and flung her inside; the lid snapping shut moments later.

* * *

Yugi looked around the shed, amazed by the sheer amount of evidence that Clive had stored about the Pharaoh. He stopped as the man gestured at a computer that he had set up to one side, the screen showing the website. "That's your Pharaoh there, isn't it?"

Yugi nodded, looking back up as Clive turned back around with pictures in his hand. The man glanced at his computer. "The photo on the website was enhanced, but I have the originals here."

Yugi walked over, staring at a larger view of the crowd shot with the Pharaoh still circled in red. Clive switched the pictures, Yugi finding himself gasping as he suddenly recognized where the Pharaoh was at the time, unable to stop staring at the man who was standing up in a car passing by. Clive nodded, Yugi catching the motion out of the corner of his eye. "November 22, 1963, the assassination of President Kennedy. A friend gave me this after going through some of his father's things. And…"

Clive rushed off to another part of the room, leaving Yugi to stare at the picture of an event forty-two years in the past. How did the Pharaoh still look so young? He looked up as Clive came back with another picture, Yugi immediately recognizing the Pharaoh even though he wore a different outfit, more to period than his current clothes. He looked up a Clive for the details. "This was taken in 1912; the Daniels family and friend. The Daniels were going to sail on the Titanic but decided not to suddenly."

The photo was carefully placed to the side, Clive walking over to the wall and carefully taking down another picture, showing the drawing to Yugi. He stared at the Pharaoh in his normal outfit, drawn standing outside a hut with a mountain in the background, the palm trees in the background showing that it was a tropical place. "This washed up on the coast of Sumatra in 1883, just after Krakatoa erupted."

"But…" Yugi looked up at Clive, his mouth open in shock. The man simply shrugged.

"But how can this person be in all these places? Some thing the Pharaoh is just a title, passed down from father to son. I think of something else." Yugi's eyes widened, shifting a little backwards as Clive leaned forward. "I think he's an alien. I think he's immortal. I think that this," he tapped the Krakatoa drawing and the picture of President Kennedy, "is the same person."

Yugi smiled as Clive took a step back, his stomach churning nervously. It was so hard to believe, hearing someone else say it. It was easier to pass it off as something that he invented in his head, but there was so much evidence here. He took a step back, running his hand through his hair with a long sigh. Clive turned back at the noise, his eyes suddenly fearful. "But you said that you had seen him."

Yugi nodded, Clive sucking in a breath and looking away. "Then you're in danger. When disaster appears he follows, he and his one constant companion."

"Who…" Yugi tried to remember if he had seen anyone with the Pharaoh the two times that he had seen the man.

"Death." He jumped as Clive took a step forward. "If you have seen the Pharaoh, Yugi, then may God help you."

Yugi managed to mutter out a thank you before walking out of the shed and letting himself out through the garden gate, leaving Clive to wander among his books and pictures. Yugi remained hidden for a moment, calming himself down before putting a mask of indifference on. Of course he was scared, who wouldn't be after that? But it didn't matter. The Pharaoh seemed to get himself into a lot of trouble, something that Yugi didn't want. He forced himself to forget about it, walking over to where Miho was waiting for him on the bench.

"Forget it. Now, want to do anything?" He blinked as she tipped her head, her skin looking different in the fading sunlight.

"How about dinner, just the two of us? Some place small and cozy." She gave him a seductive smile, standing up and running a hand over his shoulders. "It's been a long time since we've done anything as just the two of us."

Yugi swallowed, a shaky smile crossing his face. "There's that new pizza place."

"Pizza." Miho paused, seeming to roll the word around in her mouth for a bit before nodding. "I like the sound of that."

She reached down to grab Yugi's hand, Yugi shivering a bit at the cold temperature. But, then again, she had been sitting out here. He began walking back towards the city, mentally trying to figure out the closest route to the place that they were heading to and ignore Miho's attempts to seduce him.

__

* * *

_Please read and review. Criticism is always welcome._


	5. Into Time and Space

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter Four: Into Time and Space**

**Chapter Four: Into Time and Space**

"_You could stay here, fill your life with work and food and sleep or you could go… anywhere."_

_-The Doctor_

Yugi put his menu down on the table, sighing as he slid down slightly in his chair. No matter how much he told himself he wasn't going to think about the Pharaoh, his mind kept wandering back to the man. He resisted the urge to growl, knowing that they were in a public place. But that same thought didn't seem to be stopping Miho.

He jumped a bit as he felt her foot run up the inside of his calf, staring at his girlfriend and trying to remember the last time she had been so forward. Had he been neglecting her so much that she was willing to do anything to gain his attention? Yugi shook his head and sighed, the sound attracting Miho's attention. "What's wrong sweetheart?"

"Nothing. Just thinking." Yugi looked up at her, surprised that she seemed to be encouraging him to continue talking. Usually Miho let him change the topic, some vicious part of him always thinking that it was because she didn't really care about him. He cleared his throat before hesitantly beginning to speak again. "I need to get another job while my mom continues to look for one. For the first time in a long time, we don't seem to have anything going wrong and I want to have as much money saved up as possible."

"But wouldn't the Pharaoh impede that?"

Yugi blinked, staring at her before shaking his head. "I'm not worried about him anymore. He's just," he made a gesture, the move not really expressing what he wanted to say. Yugi shook his head, ending up shrugging in the end before leaning back. "He's not worth worrying about."

"But you should. Especially after you went to see that man." Miho stopped to think for a moment. "What did he tell you?"

"It doesn't matter." Yugi sat back up again, one hand resting on the menu as he looked around the restaurant at the other people there. "I don't want to talk about it."

"I think we should." Her hand came to rest over his, Yugi glancing down at the cold appendage before glancing back up at Miho. She smiled at him. "I think you should tell me about the Pharaoh."

"Champagne?"

Yugi didn't really pay any attention to the voice, settling to answering both questions with a single answer. "No."

He flinched as Miho's hand tightened on his, biting his lip to keep from screaming in pain. Miho just continued to smile. "I think you should."

"Champagne?"

She looked over at Yugi, sending shivers down his spine with the sultry look that she had on. "We didn't order any." Her attention snapped back to him quickly, staring at him as he leaned forward slightly. "Now, Yugi, tell me-"

"Of course you didn't." Miho growled, Yugi looking over at the person who was standing by him, his mouth dropping open in shock as he watched the Pharaoh shake up the bottle before releasing the cork. It hit Miho square between the eyes, the girl tipping back a bit. Yugi gasped and glared at the man, the Pharaoh shrugging and looking down at the bottle before snorting. "Waste of good champagne."

Yugi was about to protest the callous way the Pharaoh spoke when he saw Miho's face contort, the cork disappearing into her skin. There was a short pause before Miho daintily spat the cork back into her hand before placing it on a table with a smile. Yugi scooted his chair back as Miho turned to smile at the Pharaoh, her hands coming to rest on the table as she stood up. A second later, the dainty hands on the table became paddles.

He jumped out of the way as Miho brought one hand down on the table, watching in horror as it split. He heard the screams beginning as other people noticed her. Yugi was shoved out of the way in the next moment as the Pharaoh rushed forward to grab onto Miho's head, giving it a rough yank before stumbling backwards, the head in his hands. Yugi was about to protest when he had to drop to the floor, the headless body of his girlfriend still flailing about.

He took a glance at the body, noticing that the other people were still in danger, locked in fear of the headless girl that was smashing tables. Yugi glanced up at the closest wall, lunging for the fire alarm. He slammed his palm into it, wincing at the sting. He pushed away from the wall as the people began to run out, rushing after the Pharaoh.

The two of them ducked out of a door, Yugi turning around to see Miho still blundering around before the door swung shut. He was almost tempted to go back in, but the reminder of who had pulled off her head sent him rushing down the hall. He was running after the Pharaoh when he heard Miho bursting into the corridor that they were in.

Yugi rushed out of the door at the end of the corridor, staring at the dead end they had ended up in, high walls and dumpsters being the only thing in sight aside from the blue box that sat in the center of the space. Yugi turned back to look at the Pharaoh, noticing that he was fiddling with the cylinder, his mouth dropping open as the door clicked. The idiot had just locked them in here.

"What are you doing?" Yugi rushed to tug at the door, hoping that the door wasn't locked. He was immediately disappointed. "You've locked us in here with that…thing."

The cylinder was held up before the Pharaoh pocked it, strolling towards the blue box. "It's a sonic screwdriver."

"I don't care what it is." Yugi gave the door a final yank before storming after the Pharaoh. "You've locked us in here and you tore off my girlfriend's head! And now we're in danger from whatever she's turned into!"

"We're not in danger." The Pharaoh reached into his pocket for a key and opened the door to the box. Yugi scoffed at the implied idea. They couldn't just hide in a box, ignoring the nagging part of his mind that said it was more than a box. He threw up his hands and stormed away, jumping as something slammed into the door. He turned to look at the Pharaoh, watching the man pause in opening the door to the box. "That won't hold her for long. Still, your loss."

Yugi turned away jogging around the small yard, searching for a place where he could escape. He jumped as the sound of banging on the locked door got louder, finally spinning around to see the door beginning to give. He swallowed nervously, backing away until he hit the blue box, staring at it for a second before rushing to the door. It was an insane move, but the only one he had.

He yanked open the door, throwing himself inside before turning around, his heart beginning to pound quickly as he stared at the room that he had appeared in. His eyes jumped around, barely noticing the man that paced around the central console as his mind tried to comprehend the sight before him.

Columns of what looked like stone or coral rose around him, rising up to support the impossibly high ceiling. Grating led up to the main console, also seeming to be made out of coral as well as some other pieces of junk, a column appearing out of the center of the six sided console, soft turquoise light spilling over the room and mixing with the gold.

It was simply impossible.

Yugi turned around and yanked the door open, nearly throwing himself back outside. He shivered and backed away from the box, quickly circling it to make sure that he hadn't been tricked. It was still just a blue box. It should have only had barely room for two people to stand in; not that whole room. He was about to begin another circle when his attention was brought back to the door, hearing the sound of it beginning to break.

Yugi waited a moment more before making his decision. He didn't care what Clive had said. Death was sure to come to him if he stayed here. The Pharaoh offered an escape.

He grabbed the handle of the box again, pulling it open and slamming the door shut, panting as he stood on the other side. Yugi tensed as he heard a chuckle from behind him, turning around to yell at the Pharaoh only to be put into shock by the sheer size of the room. "Glad you finally decided to come in."

The Pharaoh walked around the console, connecting wires to the head, turning around and walking to stand at the head of the ramp, crossing his arms over his chest. "So…"

"It's…it's bigger on the inside."

"Yes."

"It's alien."

"Yes."

Yugi glared at the Pharaoh, hating the condescending tone that was aimed at him. He took a step forward, feeling a bit bolder. He could deal if he just focused on the man; he knew how to handle the condescending manner. The Pharaoh turned around, waving towards the door. "Please shut the door completely. She doesn't like drafts."

He complied without a second thought, paused with one hand on the door, still thinking about the move. Yugi scowled, the expression directed at himself. He spun around to demand how the Pharaoh got off ordering him around like this and was struck again by the size of the ship. Vaguely, he heard the Pharaoh sigh, the man's boots making a sound of the grating as he turned. "This is the TARDIS. Stands for Time and Relative Dimensions In Space."

The words that tumbled out of Yugi's mouth he never meant to speak. "You're alien."

"You're intelligent."

Yugi snapped at this point storming up the grating to stand toe to toe with the Pharaoh, having to tip his head back to glare at him. "Look. I'm only here because of that thing that attacked me. I didn't come in here to be insulted. You barged in on my date and ripped the head off of my girlfriend-"

"It's just a plastic copy-"

"-and you're gonna just let her melt!"

"What?" The Pharaoh spun around, staring at the head that was slowly melting in the cradle of wires that he had installed in it. He cursed in a language the Yugi didn't understand before rushing around the console, flipping switches and playing with useless pieces of junk, all while muttering in that same language. The whole ship, or what Yugi assumed was a ship started rock, Yugi clinging to one of the supports for balance as the Pharaoh continued to move around the console. Yugi backed out of the way as the Pharaoh rushed by, the tails of his coat nearly slapping him across the face. "Come on!"

The box rocked to a stop, Yugi being thrown onto the floor as the Pharaoh rushed outside, opening the door and peering out before giving another curse, stepping fully outside. Yugi picked himself off the floor and followed, blinking as he realized that they were by the river that led to the ocean. He raced to the railing that the box was beside, peering over into the river. "We've moved."

The Pharaoh glared at him. "Of course we have. You track a signal by moving. Disappears and then reappears, much better than flying."

Yugi snorted, crossing his arms and glaring at the box. "What's with the exterior? I would think a spaceship would be flashier than this."

"It's a disguise, but I wouldn't expect a human to think about that." Yugi gritted his teeth at the insult, resisting the urge to slap the box. He stormed over to lean on the railing on the other side of the box, putting distance between him and the Pharaoh. He stared out over the river, looking out towards the ocean and took a deep breath. He needed to relax and stay calm; flying off the handle wouldn't help this situation.

Yugi glanced away from the dark water, staring at the huge wheel that was across the water. It was originally built to resemble the London Eye for the same purpose, Domino mostly being a tourist city. He tapped his fingers against the railing, turning his head slightly to watch as the Pharaoh paced behind him.

"Since you're here, you could help."

Yugi turned around, leaning against the railing. "I can't read your mind, I'm just a primitive human, remember? What are you looking for?"

"A transmitter, like a dish." The Pharaoh came to lean at the railing, staring down at the dark water. "Something big and round."

Yugi tipped his head back, looking at the wheel upside down. The Pharaoh glanced at him in confusion, following his gaze to the wheel before shaking his head and looking at the human. Yugi sighed, remaining in his position until the Pharaoh caught his gaze again before leading the man's gaze back to the wheel. He smiled as the Pharaoh stared at it for a long while before a smile broke across his face, the expression shocking Yugi.

It was so weird seeing any kind of emotion other than disgust on the man's face.

The Pharaoh pushed away from the rail, ready to walk off. He paused for a moment, looking back at Yugi before jerking his head in the direction that he was going, the smile still on his face. "You're useful. Come on."

Yugi supposed that that was the closest he was going to get to a complement and followed, running to catch up before falling into step beside the taller man. "So, have you got a plan?"

"I'm going to talk with it, reason with it." Yugi stared at him, part of him wondering what the 'it' was before shaking his head. The Pharaoh seemed to guess his train of thought before pulling out a test tube of some blue liquid, holding it up to Yugi could see before putting it back into his pocket. "That is anti-plastic and _that_ is a last resort."

Yugi stared at the man, trying to sort out what he was hearing and what he saw as they strolled over the bridge. He saw someone who seemed used to combat, if the hardened eyes and determined stride were any signs, or at least to some sort of hardship. And the defensiveness, Yugi couldn't forget that since it was mostly aimed at him. There was something behind that prickly barrier, Yugi saw it at times. But all those things didn't add up to a man that would try to _talk_ to something first rather than destroy it.

He swallowed, jogging down the steps as the headed for the base of the wheel. "But, what if all the plastic things come to life?"

"Are you worried about the mannequins, toys, fake trees-"

"Brest implants." Yugi clamped his hands over his mouth, his eyes opening wide. He got an amused look from the Pharaoh, a blush cross over his face. The silence pushed on between them for a moment more before the Pharaoh began to walk again, Yugi following after him.

"You worried about them taking over the world, this polluted world that the humans have created?"

The Pharaoh shook his head, what sounded like genuine laughter coming from him. "It's a good thing that I am very convincing then."

"Big ego much?" Yugi quipped back, a smile crossing his face as he tried to keep his blush down.

The Pharaoh paused, looking back at him before leaping down to a hatch, turning the wheel so the hatch opened. He motioned Yugi down, a smile on his face. "The biggest."

Yugi dropped down into the space under the wheel, walking carefully over the catwalk as the Pharaoh descended behind him. He was brushed aside as the man walked to the end of the catwalk, stopping and staring down at something. Yugi was about to continue on without him when he heard a grumble, looking down and gasping. Resting it a pit was a mass of molten orange liquid, sloshing and pulling like molten plastic.

The grumble was repeated again, the Pharaoh straightening himself up and looking down at the pit. "I request permission to approach the Nestene Consciousness." There was a pause before the pit growled again, the Pharaoh nodding his head. "Thank you."

Yugi felt him grasp his arm, the Pharaoh leading him down the steps as they walked towards the pit. He looked around as the Pharaoh spoke, partially paying attention to the man. "Listen, stay close and remain sil-"

"Miho!" Yugi pulled away from the Pharaoh as he spotted his girlfriend huddling against a wall, tearstains on her face. He ran over to her, kneeling beside her and pulling her into a hug as she trembled.

"That thing…it can talk, Yugi. It can move!" Yugi rocked her gently, pulling her head down to rest on his shoulder as the Pharaoh walked past, glaring at the man.

"I thought that-"

"It was a plastic copy."

"You never said th-"

"I thought you would be smart enough to figure that out once I pulled off the head. Now hush." The Pharaoh rolled his eyes, muttering something with Yugi assumed to be an insult to his race under his breath. He scowled at the alien as he walked down to the platform below them, still trying to comfort Miho even as he watched.

"Am I addressing the Nestene Consciousness?" There was a growl from the pit, the Pharaoh seeming to understand because he nodded seeming to slouch a bit. "From my understanding, you have come to this planet with the intent to take over, which goes against the Shadow Proclamation, so I advise you to move on."

The pit grumbled, the sound coming out into something almost like a screech, making the Pharaoh wince. "I am aware of that, but you cannot have this planet. These humans are just starting, these blundering idiots are just reaching out towards the stars. I cannot have that just vanish."

The Nestene Consciousness seemed to think something over, Yugi trembling as a face seemed to push up from it, the liquid stretch to accommodate it. What he assumed was the Nestene Consciousness paused, seeming to sniff the air before letting out a screech, the Pharaoh faltering. "What?"

Yugi sat up as he saw two of the plastic mannequins come walking stiffly out of the shadows, opening his mouth to call out a warning when they both grabbed the Pharaoh, the man struggling in their grips. Yugi tried to move, Miho preventing him. Instead, he leaned out over the edge, turning his head when a panel opened revealing the blue box that they had traveled here in. A look at the Pharaoh revealed that he had seen it too.

The Pharaoh turned back at a low rumble from the pit, his bravado seeming to have vanished. "Yes, that is mine." The pit snarled, one of the plastic dummies releasing its hold and pulling out the vial of Anti-plastic from the Pharaoh's pocket, the Nestene Consciousness hissing as it saw it. The Pharaoh shook his head, struggling in the hold of the one dummy. "That was just insurance."

The Nestene Consciousness gave an accusatory screech, the Pharaoh looking panicked. "Yes, I fought in the war, but I didn't want to destroy anything. I couldn't save any of the planets. I couldn't!"

There was another screech, Yugi gasping, flinching at the ringing that filled his head. He could hear the Pharaoh muttering to himself, looking down to find the man's blue eyes fixed on him. "It's starting the invasion. Get out of here Yugi!"

Yugi blinked at the use of his name instead of an insult, Miho yanking on his arm pulling him back down. He stared at his girlfriend, one hand going down to reach for his cell phone, stopping with the device out of his pocket. He stared at the thing, nearly dropping it as Miho yanked on his arm. "Call for help and run! We can't just stay here!"

His thumb hovered over the numbers, staring at them as he decided who to call, his eyes drifting back to the Pharaoh. There was no one who could stop what was going on, no one on earth except for the annoying alien with his blue box. And he was still trapped. What use was calling the earth authorities against plastic creatures who didn't care what happened to them? There would always be more.

Yugi shook his head, realizing that the Pharaoh was shouting at him again. "Yugi Mutou, you stupid ape, run!"

He stood up slowly, Miho still attached to his arm, really looking at the Pharaoh for the first time. The man looked a bit scared, staring up at him. Behind all that defensiveness the Pharaoh really cared, about him. And why him, he was no one, just a person muddling through life. But he was the only one free right now. The only one willing to do something.

The Nestene Consciousness snarled, shifting around so that some of it spilled out of the pit, Yugi finally understanding one thing it said. "Time Lord!"

Yugi pocketed his cell phone, running over to a chain that hung on the wall, and grabbing an axe. He started at the rusty metal fitting that held the chain in place, swinging the axe once before smiling. It would work.

"Yugi, what are you doing?"

He looked back at his girlfriend, the same smile on his face. "I've got no high school diploma." A swing of the axe. "No college degree." Another swing of the axe. "And no future." The metal gave, Yugi grabbing the chain and taking a few steps back, looking at the struggling figure below. "But for once, I'm going to do something!"

Yugi rushed for the edge of the platform, ignoring Miho's scream as he launched himself across the open space. He swung past the plastic dummy that was holding the Pharaoh, narrowing his eyes as he approached the second one, the one that still held the anti-plastic. He smirked and kicked his feet out, the mannequin tumbling off the platform and into the Nestene Consciousness below. He got a glimpse of the anti-plastic melting into the liquid before he was swinging back.

The Pharaoh was directly in his path, throwing off his captor before holding out his arms to catch Yugi, holding him steady as he clambered off the chain, the two of them smiling the same insane smile. They stood there laughed for a while, neither one of them moving to step out of the embrace that they had found themselves in.

"Come on." The Pharaoh grabbed his hand, Yugi smiling at the gentle roll of the Earth that he felt for a moment before it disappeared. Somewhere in the back of his mind it was still there, but it no longer felt out of control like it had before. He raced after the Pharaoh, being nearly dragged up the stairs as they ran, dropping their linked hands so that the Pharaoh could dig his keys out of his pocket.

The TARDIS was unlocked, Miho rushing into it after the Pharaoh, Yugi pausing at the door to stare down at the writhing Nestene Consciousness. He had just helped save the world and he had never felt so alive in his life.

He have a laugh before stepping into the TARDIS, shutting the door behind him and walking up the ramp, wrapping his arms around one of the coral columns as the Pharaoh began to send his ship into motion. Yugi caught a glimpse of Miho crouched on the floor, probably frightened by the sudden size of the box, but he was still running on his adrenaline high, laughing along with the Pharaoh.

The TARDIS came to a stop, Miho falling to her side before scrambling to her feet and bursting out of the door. Yugi followed at the slightly slower pace, spotting his girlfriend crouched by a dumpster, staring at the box and shivering. He started to walk slowly over to her, reaching into his pocket for his cell phone as it vibrated. Yugi stared at the caller I.D. before lifting it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Yugi?" His mother's worried voice reached him. "Oh my gosh Yugi, there were these things outside. I watched them from the window and they were killing people, Yugi. Stay inside, stay away from all stores. Please just-"

He shook his head and hung up the phone, taking in a deep breath of the cooling air before walking over to where Miho was, his girlfriend immediately latching onto his legs and pointing at that box. "That thing…it's so wrong."

Yugi shook his head, looking over at the TARDIS, finding that the Pharaoh was leaning against the door, smiling out at them. He noticed Yugi's gaze, making a dismissive gesture with his hand. "Nestene Consciousness, under control. Easily."

"Hey," Yugi shook his head. "_I_ had it under control. Without me, you'd still be stuck down there."

The Pharaoh gave a nod, looking up with the mirth gone from his eyes. Yugi started at the sudden change. The Pharaoh seemed to stare out at the lights of the city for a while, seeming to be making up his mind about something before he looked at Yugi. "Well..."

Yugi nodded and waved him on, understanding that the man didn't want to say goodbye, it would make it look like they were friends. "Yeah."

"Or," there was another long pause, "you could come with me. This old girl," he patted the TARDIS, "doesn't just stay on Earth, she can go anywhere."

"Anywhere?" The Pharaoh nodded, Yugi leaning forward slightly. It was very tempting, getting away from his life. He could very well fill his life with work and the endless drudgery of the day or go with this promise of adventure. As if Miho heard his thoughts, she leaned forward, wrapping her arms more tightly around his legs.

That brought Yugi back to reality, looking at his longtime girlfriend before shaking his head. "No. I can't. I have things…" He looked up to see the Pharaoh's gaze harden, the man pulling back into the TARDIS. Yugi mentally cursed himself, but he knew he was making the right choice. He swallowed and forced himself to keep talking. "And I have people that I have to take care of."

"Right." The coldness was back in the Pharaoh's voice. The man turned and disappeared into the TARDIS, the door slamming shut behind him. Yugi took a deep breath, not knowing how disappointing it would be to force himself to say those words. But he still didn't leave, watching the TARDIS disappear, listening to the grind of the engines and watching the man who could feel the turn of the Earth leave him behind.

Yugi shrugged, more to himself than as a response to anything. He looked down at Miho, helping her up before patting her one the back and beginning to walk her back, some part of him regretting his decision. But it had been the right one. Right?

He froze at the marvelous sound of the TARDIS returning, spinning around to watch as the blue box materialized, the wind created whipping his bangs around his face. A smile cross his face as the TARDIS fully appeared, the door swinging open as the Pharaoh stepped out. "Did I mention that it travels in time?"

Yugi blinked, his smile never wavering as he made his decision. He turned and kissed Miho on the cheek, sending her on her way with a little shove. She stared at him for a moment, surprised by his spontaneity. It disappointed him that she didn't expect that anymore. Had he really changed that much?

He didn't really care, turning back around and running towards the TARDIS, seeing the Pharaoh step out of his way.

He wanted to feel the Earth spin beneath his feet and he wanted to see the world. He wanted to _live_.


	6. The End of the World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter Five: The End of the World**

**Chapter Five: The End of the World**

"_This is who I am! Right here, right now. Alright? All that counts is here and now and this is me!"_

_-The Doctor_

Yugi bounded up to the console, the Pharaoh swinging the door shut behind him before walking up behind him, leaning casually against the console. "Where do you want to go?"

"The future. A hundred years?"

His suggestion was waved away, the Pharaoh walking around the console, seeming to consult the view screen. "22nd Century? Too boring and unimaginative. In 12,005 the New Roman Empire starts…" The Pharaoh trailed off, a smirk on his face before he began to move around the console, Yugi stepping out of his way. "But that's equally as dull."

"So, where are we going?"

The Pharaoh gave him a smile in response to his question, Yugi tipping his head to the side before he had to latch onto the console, the TARDIS rocking as the Pharaoh piloted her towards their destination. Yugi found that he couldn't stop smiling, blaming it on the adrenaline rush that he still had, even laughing when he was thrown forward against the console, the breath briefly knocked out of him.

He pushed away from the console, eagerly following the Pharaoh outside. They stepped into a room that looked like it was mostly made of marble, three steps leading down to a huge window. Yugi's mouth dropped open, walking slowly down the smaller set of stairs that were carved into the larger three, staring at the fabulous view of the Earth that was afforded to him. He barely heard the Pharaoh come up beside him, too entranced by the view of his home planet that he had only seen from pictures.

Yugi jumped out of his daze as the Pharaoh spoke. "This is the year 5.5/Apple/26. And this is the day…" He paused for a moment, tipping his head back and seeming to descend into thought. Yugi craned his neck to see what the Pharaoh was checking on when his attention was attracted by a sudden burst of light, jerking his head back to watch as the Sun seemed to burst out of some confinement, the brilliant light drifting over the Earth.

He took a sharp breath at the sight, taking another step forward to rest his hand on the glass and watch the play of light of his home, his head turning slightly so he could see the Pharaoh as he spoke again. "This is the day the Sun expands and the Earth is destroyed."

Yugi's hand slipped from the glass, turning to faced the Pharaoh as he looked around the room they were in, shrugging before walking back up the stairs, apparently ready to leave to wander through the rest of wherever they were. Yugi shook his head, turning back to look at the planet that they were above, his gaze rising to look at the Sun before he pushed away, running after the Pharaoh.

He had never expected _this_ when he had decided to take up the Pharaoh's invitation.

He caught up with the man in a corridor, the decadence of the room echoed in the corridor, except dark red drapes had been added to the décor. Yugi rushed to walk beside the Pharaoh, looking up at him and silently demanding and explanation. The Pharaoh didn't seem interested in answering him until they approached a large room, two sets of translucent turquoise doors opening as they walked closer.

Yugi looked at the high ceilinged room, craning his head to look around him as he continued to follow the Pharaoh, finding that he was being led to an even larger window split into three parts, the Earth still visible. The Pharaoh finally stopped, crossing his arms and staring out at the Earth. The silence stretched between them for a while before he began to speak again.

"It's empty, if you're wondering, everyone has moved on. They even set the continents in the classic Earth pattern. The planet is now in the hold of the National Trust, or it was."

"Was?"

The Pharaoh shrugged. "The money ran out, so they're shutting off the gravity satellites that hold the sun back." The man turned, looking like he was going to leave. "It's time is up."

Yugi was about to question further when a blue man in a robe appeared from a niche, hurrying towards them and looking flustered. He stared at the man as he approached, noticing the lack of hair and the cat-like amber eyes that the man had, shrinking back by the Pharaoh as the man began to speak to them. "What are you two doing here? Guests only on Platform One."

"We're guests." This disdain that the Pharaoh managed to lace into his voice startled Yugi but didn't seem to phase the blue man, Yugi assuming that he got it all the time. The Pharaoh reached into his pocket, bringing out a battered leather wallet and flipping it open. Yugi got a glimpse of the edge of white paper before the Pharaoh moved it to show to the blue man. "The Pharaoh and…friend. I'm the Pharaoh and this is my friend."

The blue man examined the paper for a moment longer before nodding. "Everything seems to be in order, which means we can start."

Yugi found himself pushed back by the Pharaoh while the man he assumed was the Steward walked to a podium, getting comfortable before speaking into the microphone. "Staff, to your serving stations."

Little men, the size of children, walked out into the room, arranging themselves into nooks. Yugi barely had time to comprehend them when the Steward began to speak into the microphone, introducing the guests as they walked in.

"The Moxx of Balhoon." A small blue humanoid with a bulbous head seated in a hovering chair.

"The Face of Boe." A giant wrinkled face suspended in a jar that had to be wheeled in on a trolley.

"Trees from the Forests of Cheem." One female with dark skin patterned like bark and in a stiff collared dress walked into the room, two lighter skinned males in what looked like military uniforms following her.

Yugi swallowed, feeling himself begin to tremble as he watched two more groups come in, one that wore capes and had heads that reminded him of slowly decaying vultures and another with brighter robes and heads like compacted round haystacks. Yugi tried to shrink away behind the Pharaoh, finding himself being pushed back out as another group was announced.

"From Financial Family Seven, the Adherents of the Repeated Meme." These were also covered in a black cloak, much like the vulture people. But, unlike the vulture people, they kept their hoods up, long claws extending from underneath their sleeves when the material rode up.

Yugi looked up, surprised to see the trees from Cheem walking over to them, the female taking something from the tray that the males had. "I bring you a gift, a cutting from my grandfather who was part of a forest on Earth."

The Pharaoh bowed a bit as he accepted the gift, his eyes going unfocused before standing upright again, passing the cutting off with care to Yugi who made sure to have a good hold on it. "I give you the gift of air from my lungs."

Yugi raised an eyebrow as the Pharaoh blew a short breath of air towards the tree woman, nearly laughing when her eyes grew glazed over. A shaky smile was given to the Pharaoh, quickly transforming into a sultry one before she moved away. Yugi shoot the Pharaoh an annoyed look that was never caught as the Moxx of Balhoon moved over to them, the Pharaoh bending over at the waist to speak to him.

"Salutations on this great day. As a gift in peace, I give you bodily fluids." The Moxx spat, Yugi somehow not surprised when it landed in his own eye. He made an effort not to wipe it away, earning a smirk from the Pharaoh. He did not resist the urge to elbow the man in the ribs as soon as the Moxx moved away, earning an affronted look.

"A gift in all good faith." The rasping, mechanical voice made Yugi look up, flinching away from the long claws that held a metal sphere. Thankfully, the Pharaoh reached out to grab it, exchanging it for the gift of air from his lungs, the earlier exchange between the Moxx of Balhoon missed entirely. Yugi found the metal ball placed in his hands, looking up to tell the Pharaoh that he wasn't going to be his servant when the next guest was announced.

"And now for a very special guest, Lady Cassandra O'Brien Dot Delta Seventeen, the last human." Yugi edged around the Pharaoh, nearly dropping the gifts that he had been given as he watched two attendants dressed completely in scrubs with surgical masks over their faces wheel in a metal frame a single stretched out piece of skin with eyes and a mouth on it held in place. Yugi had the fleeting thought that she looked like a dissecting experiment gone wrong when he noticed the brain floating in a jar.

"Oh now, don't stare. I know. I know. It's shocking, isn't it? I've had my chin completely taken away. And look at the difference! Look how thin I am. Thin and dainty. I don't look a day over two thousand." Yugi watched her eyes flick to one of the attendants, muttering in a low voice that could still be heard. "Moisturize me, moisturize me."

The attendant dutifully followed her instructions, spraying some liquid from a nozzle, Cassandra still talking. "Truly, I am the last human. My father was a Texan, my mother was from the Arctic desert. They were born on the Earth and they were the last to be buried in its soil. I have come to honor them and say goodbye.

"To this point, I have brought gifts." The one of the smaller members of the staff walked through the doors, carrying a pillow with an egg on it. Yugi craned his head to see it better, Cassandra beginning to speak again. "This is the last ostrich egg in existence.

"And," two more short staff members came in, rolling a jukebox, "I believe they called this an iPod." Cassandra took a dramatic breath here, Yugi trying his hardest not to laugh at the inaccuracy. "I think now is a fitting time to play an old Earth ballad, in remembrance."

She started tearing up, one of her attendants gently dabbing away her tears as the aliens all expressed their condolences, Cassandra blithely thanking them as the jukebox was prepared, Yugi shaking his head at the sound of Tainted Love began floating through the room. He turned to look at the Pharaoh, watching him raise an eyebrow at the song choice before shrugging.

Yugi chuckled to himself, turning around to look at the Earth through the windows, sorrow rushing through him. That was his planet, his home, and it was going to be destroyed. All while these people watched. He turned to look at the room, the facts suddenly hitting him hard.

They weren't people, they were aliens.

Yugi took a step back, sucking in a deep breath as he began to shiver. He was years into the future, watching his planet explode, surrounded by aliens. His eyes darted around the room, going over each of the aliens again. The adrenaline from his earlier escape was gone now and left him suddenly aware of what he had done. And he couldn't handle it anymore.

He swallowed and walked quickly from the room, feeling the Pharaoh's gaze on his back as he sidled around the guests, sure that he wasn't imagining the accusatory stare. But he couldn't stay there right now, he had to get out of there.

Yugi nearly ran down the corridors, searching for a place where he could hide away and think. He settled for a corner a good distance away from the gathering, pushing aside the curtain to stare out the window into empty space, thankfully. Still holding the gifts, he leaned against the wall, staring out into the stars and letting himself stop thinking for a bit, taking deep breaths to calm himself down.

He jumped as someone came down the hall, eyes widening as he recognized the same species of the Steward, except this one was a female and dressed in a janitor's outfit. Yugi stared at her for a moment before shaking his head, looking down at the ground. "I'm…I'm sorry. Am I allowed to be here?"

The alien paused before nodding, kneeling down to examine a grate in the wall. Yugi fidgeted for a moment before taking a deep breath. He wasn't good at interacting with people, his introverted personality usually pushing him to remain in silence. But that couldn't happen here. He was out in space, years ahead of everyone he knew. He might as well try talking to an alien that wasn't the Pharaoh. At least this one looked alien.

"He-Hello." The alien smiled and nodded at him before returning to her work, Yugi swallowing before continuing. "Would it be too much to ask for your name?"

The alien hesitated for a moment before pulling away to sit back on her heels. She looked down the corridors before looking back at him. "You have to give us permission to speak, sir."

"Oh," the idea had never occurred to him, "well, I give you permission."

He was rewarded with a brilliant smile from the alien as she settled down to talk with him. "My name is Raffalo, I'm a plumber here. The Face of Boe complained about some of the pipes in his room."

Yugi found himself relaxing despite the obvious fact that she was an alien. "Oh. Where are you from?"

Raffalo wiped her hands on a rag that she had hanging around her waist with a slightly sad smile. "I'm from Crespallion." At his confused look, she continued to explain. "It's part of the Jaggit Brocade, which is affiliated with the Scarlet Junction in Complex 56."

She turned back to her work, not noticing Yugi's shocked look. The human took a step back, leaning heavily against the wall. His eyes glanced back to her as Raffalo spoke again. "Where are you from?"

"Oh, me?" Yugi chuckled, looking back out of the stars. He suddenly felt more lost than before. He hadn't recognized any of the planets, if they even were planets, that Raffalo had listed. His one free hand gripped the wall, as he swallowed nervously. "I'm from…from…"

He could say from Earth, but she probably wouldn't believe him. But that _was_ his home and, then again it wasn't. It was Earth fashioned in the image of his time, classic Earth. It wasn't his home and yet it was; the paradox of the thing driving him crazy.

Yugi shook his head and looked back a Raffalo. "I'm from far away…I don't really know anymore though. I just kind of decided to come along with the Pharaoh, without thinking. And no one knows where I am, I just ran off with this man and…"

He realized that Raffalo was staring at him oddly. He shook his head and managed a shaky smile, pushing away from the wall to walk off.

"Sir, are you alright?" Yugi paused at that, staring blankly ahead into the hallway. Was he alright? Was he really? Probably not, but he was here now, the consequences of his split second decision and he would have to deal with it. After all, beneath his intense case of culture shock, he was enjoying himself. Who else had ever gotten to see this?

Yugi turned around with a genuine smile. "Yeah. Thanks."

Raffalo nodded. "Thank you. You know, for the permission."

He gave a friendly wave and walked off, realizing that Raffalo must almost never been allowed to talk, just one of those people working in the background. Like he had been. Yugi shook his head and retracted his steps to the room they had appeared in, slipping in and sitting on the steps as he stared at the small cutting of a planet that he had been given.

* * *

Raffalo shook her head, removing the grate entirely. Although the man had been strange, probably rich enough to be called eccentric, he had been nice. It had been a long while since anyone had spoken to her, too used to the presence of workers who moved in silence. Of course, they moved in silence because that's what their employers wanted and the guests asked for.

She placed the grate to one side, tipping her head as she looked into the duct before reaching for the walkie talkie that was attached to her collar. "From initial survey I can't see anything wrong with it."

She didn't wait for a response, there wouldn't be one. It was just routine, something that the people on Platform One took very seriously. She crawled into the duct, tacking the flashlight from her belt and flicking it on, beginning to examine the duct for any faults. If she couldn't find any here, then she would have to look at the duct from the other side in the guest's room before sending something it to move where she couldn't. Raffalo shook her head and prepared to pull out, knowing that if she crawled even further she would only get stuck. Then something caught her eye.

A little metal spider walked boldly down the duct, stopping when it seemed to sense her. It turned, the one red sensor in the center of it head turning to face her before the spider scurried away, Raffalo reaching for it. "No, come back. I won't hurt you. I just have to see your serial number and classify you. Nothing dangerous."

She smiled as the creature scurried back out, seeming to edge cautiously back out into the open. Raffalo relaxed from her place in the duct, shifting a little to get comfortable. "That's better. Now, could you come a little closer…"

She trailed off as more of the spiders appeared, the smile still not wavering from her face. "Oh, you've got friends, nice. Wouldn't want you to be lonely."

Raffalo shifted, reaching for the device that would scan these creatures when she realized how many were flooding into the small duct. And they were no longer as cautious as before. Raffalo paused before beginning to wiggle out deciding that she was at a disadvantage there.

A mental foot prodded her as one of the spiders reached her, prodding her again before the foot took hold. Raffalo jumped, looking around to find herself surrounded by the spiders, all finding a good hold on her clothing. She barely had the time to think abut what it could mean when the spiders hauled her further into the duct, her scream the only thing they left behind.

* * *

The Pharaoh hesitated a moment before rolling his eyes and storming after Yugi. He should have known that the stupid human would get culture shock, but he thought that Yugi would have been able to hold it together better. After all, Yugi hadn't flinched during the whole affair with the Nestene Consciousness. Why would he choose to freak out now?

He barely glanced at the Adherents of the Repeated Meme, some part of his brain thinking that it was odd that they were giving a gift to the Steward of the viewing platform as well, but it was brushed off quickly in favor of looking for Yugi. It would be embarrassing if he lost the human barely an hour into his first trip into time and space.

"Pharaoh, could you hold still for a second." He paused, turning to look at the female ambassador from the forest of Cheem, blinking at the bright flash that went off. He glanced at the device that she was holding before brushing it off, walking off and not noticing the argument that she started having with it. He stormed out into the hall, glaring ahead of him.

"Should be rule one." He muttered to himself, peeking down another corridor before storming off. "Don't wander off."

He turned a corner abruptly, coming to a stop and staring at the open duct that was lower in the wall. Usually the viewing platforms weren't so careless but, perhaps with the Earth's immanent destruction, no one really cared. They were too focused on the rare occasion of watching a planet burn. The Pharaoh shuddered at the thought, wondering how they could deal with it.

He had seen one too many planets burn and he wasn't keen to see another.

But then, why had he taken Yugi here in the first place? Part of his mind said that it was a great chance to experience the culture, another part said that he wanted someone to sympathize with him. But there was a smaller part that whispered that he wanted to see how tough this human was. Could this human survive seeing the end of his planet and then go back and live?

Because Yugi would be taken back…possibly. If he wasn't useful at all.

The Pharaoh opened the door to the chamber that they had first arrived in, a smile twitching at the corner of his mouth as he saw Yugi sitting on the floor, holding the cutting of the tree up as he looked at it. Yugi sighed and brought it back down to eye level seeming to contemplate the little tree for a while before speaking.

"Hello, my name is Yugi…it has nothing to do with plants but it means game. Games are sometimes made out of…" He put the plant aside and leaned forward, his head falling into his hands. "Oh God, I'm talking to a tree."

"I'd be worried if it talked back." The Pharaoh pushed away from the wall that he had been leaning against, thinking that he heard the clicking of something metal moving across the floor but ignored it for now, sitting down on the opposite side of the stairs from Yugi. He let a silence stretch between them for a bit before he forced himself to ask the obligatory question. "Are you okay?"

Yugi nodded, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah. Sorry about freaking out back there but," Yugi made an odd gesture with his hands, "they're just so alien. You look at them…and they're alien."

"Good thing I didn't take you anywhere else. The shock would have had you unconscious."

"How come they all speak the Japanese?"

The Pharaoh sat up at that question, tilting his head slightly to one side as he stared at Yugi. Most people didn't notice that, too focused on the fact that they were out in space. They usually asked about it after the shock of seeing aliens wore off. But Yugi, Yugi had noticed it right off the bat. The Pharaoh couldn't help but feel a little pride for the human that he had picked up. Yugi was smart.

But Yugi didn't seem to be paying attention to him because he continued on. "Or, English because those are the two languages I know…passably. And…that's impossible, right? There is no way that they could all have learned to speak that so fluently. They all sound like native speakers."

"You're just hearing your native language. The rest is the TARDIS." The Pharaoh reached back to pat the blue box, feeling an answering mental rumble for the flash of pride that he sent to her. "The telepathic field gets inside your head and translates for you."

It was a simplified version of what was really happening, since most humans didn't have the telepathic ability to communicate with the TARDIS. And, sometimes, a prolonged exposure to the TARDIS would slowly lead to some sort of mental communication, but never on the level that he had. And he was just proud that his ship was still attempting to help people. She could have dropped into depression after Gallifrey, but she was still alright.

"Wait. So your ship is in my head."

"Yes."

"In. My. Head." The Pharaoh was about to snap back that Yugi had repeated himself, but the anger in the large violet eyes made him stop, trying to remember a time that he had seen Yugi truly angry like this. "That machine just gets into my head and _messes _with it and you never told me!"

"Your head is fine. She's just…improved it."

"What if I didn't want to be improved?" Yugi stood up, glaring down at him from the new height that his position allowed him. "What if I was fine just the way I was?"

"What, an evolved ape who just works himself into obscurity all his life?" Yugi's mouth dropped open, the young man looking away for a moment and shaking his head, his eyes narrowed.

"What kind of alien are you that you can get away with calling me that?"

The Pharaoh opened his mouth to argue, closing it a moment later as the memory of screams echoed in his head. "I'm just the Pharaoh."

"Just the Pharaoh?" Yugi threw his hands up into the air. "That tells me nothing! What planet are you from?"

"Does it really matter?" The Pharaoh shifted, not wanting to stand up and force himself into this confrontation. He didn't want to talk about this, didn't want to get dragged into this and tell more than he wanted to.

"Yeah!" Yugi hopped down onto the stairs, losing his height advantage, but he was still glaring. It was enough to still be intimidating. "It does matter because I jumped into your box and trusted you to take care of me, only to realize that I know more about those aliens out there than I know about you. I only know you name and that your box can mess with my head! So, yeah it does matter! Just tell me what planet you are from or what you're called?"

"It doesn't matter."

"I tol-"

The Pharaoh stood up at that, towering over Yugi and glaring down at him. To his surprise, even through there was a flicker of fear in the human's eyes, Yugi didn't back down. Part of him was impressed, but he had been pushed too far to go back. "None of that matters. All that matter is who I am, right now! Nothing else!"

Yugi rolled his eyes and stormed off down the steps, the Pharaoh watching him go. The human walked over to stand in front of the window, staring at the Earth and the Sun. Yugi's hands were stuffed in his pockets, one moving after a moment and pulling out his cell phone. The Pharaoh was about to snap at him with another insult when he saw Yugi's shoulder's slump, his gaze obviously still fixed on the Earth.

There was something about that posture that the Pharaoh recognized, but refused to think too much about it. Those memories still hurt and they probably wouldn't stop hurting for the rest of his lives.

He sighed and rolled his eyes before walking down the stairs and standing beside Yugi. For the longest time, Yugi didn't seem to recognize his presence, staring down at the Earth below him. His fingers tightened on the cell phone that he held before he finally looked down at the phone that he held, raising it up to look at the screen before giving a harsh laugh. "Out of service. What do you know?"

The Pharaoh reached out for the phone without really thinking about what he was doing, one hand already holding his sonic screwdriver. Yugi gave him a sideways glance before handing the phone over with a long sigh. The Pharaoh took it and carefully removed the back panel, pointing the sonic screwdriver at it and beginning to fuse some of the circuitry together. It took him a while, longer than he should have, but he assumed that he was out of practice.

With a flourish, he handed the phone back to Yugi, who stared at the upper left hand corner of the display screen. A smile twitched at the corner of his mouth as Yugi shifted around, a more natural laugh coming from him. "Well…never expected this. What's the official name, jiggery-pokery?"

The Pharaoh went to snap back when he saw the smile on Yugi's face and realized what the young man was doing. Yugi was actually joking back. It was almost like normal, and the Pharaoh found himself truly smiling, something that was odd. Usually that smile was brought about from something clever that he came up with or sheer relief that he had escaped. "Simplified, yes."

Yugi gave a playful flinch and dialed a number on the phone, holding his breath until someone answered on the other line. "Mom?"

The Pharaoh took a step back, letting Yugi walk back and forth, and listening to half a conversation. He found himself mostly watching the expressions that crossed the young man's face, realizing how long he had separated himself from people.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just out with," Yugi paused and looked at him before shrugging, "a friend."

He nodded at something his mother said, his smiling widening before fading slightly. "Oh, what day is it?" There was another pause before Yugi nodded. "Oh right, Wednesday. No, no there's nothing wrong, just wanting to call."

Yugi laughed, shaking his head and rolling his eyes in the Pharaoh's direction. "I'm perfectly fine, Mom. Why can't I just call you randomly?" Another pause. "Okay, I love you too. Bye."

He hung up the phone, biting his lip as he turned back to look at the Pharaoh, seeming to think over something. "That was…years into the past…and I can still talk to her. That's amazing!"

The Pharaoh gave a smile back, about to offer a joke back when he heard an odd sound, Yugi turning at the same time. The young man's face contorted into a mask of someone listening hard. The Pharaoh shook his head, jogging up the stairs and standing still at the top, peering at the ceiling. He waited for the sound to be repeated but it wasn't. His posture slumped a bit as he looked back at Yugi, realizing that the young man was standing on the step below him. "Was that normal?"

"No."

__

* * *

_Please read and review. Criticism is always welcome._


	7. Rushing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter Six: Rushing**

**Chapter Six: Rushing**

"_I know where you're from. Forgive me for intruding it's remarkable that you even exist."_

_-Jabe_

The Pharaoh reached for him without thinking, grabbing his hand and beginning to walk away. It was only when they stepped out into the hallway that he realized what he was doing. The two of them stared at their jointed hands before dropping them, just as the shorter members of staff came around the corner. Most of them went into the room while one came to stand in front of the Pharaoh.

"Are you the owner of the blue box?"

"Yes."

"We'll move it to a more secure area. Here's your ticket." He was handed a ticket, pushing Yugi absently out of the way as the staff began to move the TARDIS. He felt Yugi tense, only realizing then that Yugi didn't feel safe not knowing where the TARDIS was, not being able to sense her like he could. He offered a smile to Yugi, not sure that it would help him before he began to walk towards the main room, Yugi running after him.

He kept up his quick pace, heading for the main viewing room, the doors sliding open to admit him. He looked around, not listening to the worried chatter of the aliens, searching for an entrance. He jumped as the female ambassador from Cheem came up to him, tipping her head to the side. "I am not familiar with the workings of metal, but that did not sound…natural."

"It wasn't." The Pharaoh glanced at her before turning in a slow circle. "I need to get to the maintenance ducts."

"They start just before our room." The tree looked back at her guards before nodding. "I will be happy to show you."

The Pharaoh smiled, catching Yugi scowling at him out of the corner of his eye. The human could deal with being separated from the TARDIS. Yugi could learn to trust a bit more. He nodded, holding out an arm for the tree to take, noticing her hesitate.

"Shouldn't your husband come with us?"

The Pharaoh laughed, speaking at the same time as Yugi. "He's not my husband."

The tree woman lowered her lashes, looking embarrassed. "Partner?"

"No."

"Concubine?"

"No." The Pharaoh was amused by the look on Yugi's face, nearly losing his attempt to remain indifferent at the woman's next question.

"Prostitute?"

"Okay, apparently I'm invisible." Yugi threw up his hands, backing away. "Just go on and do whatever with whoever you want. I'll stay here and…mingle."

The Pharaoh raised an eyebrow as Yugi stormed off, wondering what had set the human off again. He shrugged and turned back to the ambassador from Cheem, the tree woman smiling at him as they walked out of the room, the Pharaoh partially aware of the glare that was directed at his back by Yugi. His attention was brought back to the woman who was walking beside him. "I am Jabe."

"The Pharaoh."

* * *

The Steward settled himself at his desk, staring at the keys in front of him toying with the metal sphere he had been given before setting it aside, pressing a button to talk to the computer. "What was that tremor?"

There was a series of beeps, the Steward nodding his head before sitting back with a scowl. "What do you mean you don't know? And don't answer, that's rhetorical. That wasn't routine nor did it have anything to do with the debris."

More beeps followed, the Steward shaking his head. "But there has to be something. It cannot just be called sabotage unless we have proof. Nothing has been proven."

He blinked at more beeps, staring at his office doors. "This wouldn't happen on some of the better stations. Of all the places to be assigned, a little backwater platform with a computer who insists that there is something wrong within the system when there is no…"

The beeps increased in frequency, the Steward staring at the ceiling before nodding slowly. "Yes, yes, it would have to be small for us not to notice it."

His attention was attracted by something moving on his desk. He stared at the metal sphere as it unfolded, revealing a metal spider with one red sensor. The spider clambered out of the sphere and onto the desk, focusing on him. The Steward blinked, staring at the creature. "I expect that it would look much like that."

The spider moved over to stand by the keyboard, looking at one button before looking up at the Steward, the machine's intention clear. The blue humanoid shuddered, holding out a hand to stop the machine even as it pressed down on the key. "No!"

It hopped off the desk and scurried to the vent, leaving the Steward to turn and stare at his window as a female voice because to speak. "Sun filter, descending. Sun filter, descending."

* * *

Yugi glared at the ground, biting his lip to keep from screaming. How dare the Pharaoh let that tree insinuate such things? He was certainly none of those things! And she thought that _he_ was the prostitute? She had been hanging off him like moss hung from a tree, flirting with him and the Pharaoh had no idea. Or he acted like he had no idea.

The man was too cold to tell.

Yugi sighed and rubbed his forehead, suddenly wanting nothing more than to run away and find something familiar. Despite his bold words, he still felt very lost. And the Pharaoh had just left him here among aliens. There was no one here to connect with, not with the Earth about to be destroyed and his mother so far away in the past.

She was dead now. He tensed at the thought, his eyes widening and moving to look at the Earth below them. His mother was dead and buried on that planet below him. But he had just talked to her with ease a few minutes ago. He groaned and shook his head. He just didn't want to think about these things.

Out of the corner of his eye he spotted the Lady Cassandra, relief rushing through him. While he couldn't speak to anyone he knew, at least someone of his same species would work. She could understand what he was going through.

He walked towards the little group that had gathered around her, all thoughts of talking to her on any kind of level disappearing quickly. "So that was my seven hundredth and eighth operation. I have another one soon, getting my blood bleached. So that would make it seven hundred and nine." She paused and looked up at Yugi, sighing. "I remember when I was like him, all awkward and angular. You could do with a few operations."

Yugi shook his head, disgusted by the manner of this…he hesitated to call her a person at all. All his fear was gone, replaced by disgust and horror in the face of what Cassandra had put forward. "I'd rather die."

"It won't hurt." Cassandra lowered her lids, her voice becoming a purr, "and you'd be so handsome."

"I would rather die." Yugi growled out the words, backing away. "Because…you're not human anymore."

"What?"

"You've had all that taken away from you, Cassandra. You're just skin and…nothing human." Yugi shivered, realizing that he had just assigned himself the role of the last human. He backed away, not wanting to stick around the flap of skin anymore, the shock returning. He felt like he was drowning again.

His feet began to take him back to where the TARDIS had been, suddenly wanting to be alone. The Pharaoh would find him again and probably scold him, but Yugi didn't care. He had to get away and sort out the emotions that were running through his head. He was so lost in his swirling thoughts that he nearly ran into the Adherents of the Repeated Meme, stumbling backwards at the last minute.

"Sorry, I wasn't-" He was cut off as one of the Adherents hit him in the side of his head with its metal claws, Yugi losing consciousness and crumpling to the ground. The Adherents waited a moment before beginning to drag him away down the corridor.

* * *

The Pharaoh ducked under a bundle of pipes and wires, hearing the gentle bend of Jabe behind him. He didn't look back as he continued to edge his way through the shaft, listening to the graceful movements of the tree woman.

She sighed, shaking her head. "I have never been able to understand the language of metal and envy the people who do in this age."

The Pharaoh nodded, his eyes landing on the terminal that he was looking for, kneeling down in front of it and pulling out his sonic screwdriver. He easily hacked into the systems, smirking to himself at the speed at which that was achieved. He might have been out of practice with adjusting Earth technology, but he could still work his way through a computer system easily. He was falling into his old pattern, easily moving through the system as he looked for the mechanical source of the tremor.

He nearly jumped as Jabe began talking again, watching the tree woman out of the corner of her eye. Her relaxed demeanor was soothing after having to deal with Yugi, whatever that human's problem was. He tensed a bit as she began to pace, the movement carrying her closer to him. "So you can imagine I didn't believe my metal machine when I got the results of the scan I did of you."

Scan? He paused, not looking back at her before deciding it didn't matter. It had been done without his permission but it was his fault for not noticing the device, a thing he would remember to pay attention to. Of course, it was all Yugi's fault in the end. He had been running after the human to try and find him before he lost himself. Of course he hadn't been paying the attention he should have to his surroundings.

His silence must have been enough to make her keep going, Jabe taking a deep breath before taking a step forward. "At first the metal machine didn't want to confirm your existence, but when it did, even I didn't believe it. But it had to be true. And I just want to say that I'm sorry. So sorry for you."

The Pharaoh had gone completely still when Jabe had started talking, his hearts pounding in double time. Some one knew. Some one knew what he was. They knew and they were apologizing. He swallowed, surprised to feel an obstruction in his throat. He was amazed that a simply apology, one person just _knowing_ what he was, meant to him.

Jabe rested a hand on his shoulder, the Pharaoh hesitating for a moment before raising a hand to rest on hers, a slight squeeze. It was the only thing that he could bring himself to do. He was still too scarred from the war, too used to being closed off. It was how he lived after the war, trying to ignore the silence in his head, attempting to pretend that nothing was wrong. And, for one horrible moment, he was vunerable again.

But, for some reason it was alright. Jabe was offering him the sympathy that was never there. There had been no one else after the war, just him and the TARDIS supporting each other. He had never realized how much he needed to hear someone sympathizing with him and his loss rather than condemning him.

The Time War had caused so much trouble through the universe, most of the races blaming him for what had happened to their planets. He had played the bad guy for so long that it was a good, this switch. The Pharaoh sighed, closing his eyes for a second, a smirk crossing his face. Why couldn't Yugi understand like this instead of pushing him for something that he couldn't give?

He ignored the fact that he had told Yugi nothing, instead releasing Jabe's hand and returning to the screen in front of him. The Pharaoh forced himself to focus, training his thoughts on the now rather than the silence that he felt in his head. He blinked, the focus suddenly snapping back into place as he stared at what the screen was telling him.

Things were wrong here. The computer was reading failures in certain parts of the system, certain points that couldn't be going down. The Pharaoh stood up, Jabe's hand sliding unfelt from his shoulder, pocketing the sonic screwdriver and continuing to stride down the narrow corridor towards the cooling room. He ducked under another bundle of cables, staring at the giant fans that were visible on the other side of the doorway.

He walked through the door, looking at the three giant fans that cooled the station as well as serving as an impediment to get to the override switch. The Pharaoh shook his head and turned to look around the room, frowning as he realized what was going on. "The heat is rising despite those fans."

Something moved above their heads, the Pharaoh reacting instantly. He pulled the sonic screwdriver from his pocket again, aiming it at the metal spider that was on the wall and freezing it. He was considering his next move when a whip-like vine flashed into his vision and snatched the metal spider from the wall, dropping it towards the ground. The Pharaoh reached out and easily caught it, barely examining the thing before looking back at Jabe.

"Nice."

Jabe blushed. "I usually do not show that, for modesty's sake."

The Pharaoh gave a twisted smile, moving off towards the maintenance corridor again, hurrying back to the main part of the viewing platform. There was something going on here, made dangerous by the imminent destruction of the Earth. If the viewing platform was not kept cool, the inhabitants of the platform could all be burned at the same time as the Earth. Now the important thing in his mind was finding out the one responsible for all of this.

The metal spider was shoved into one of the pockets of his coat as he stepped out into the main corridor of the viewing platform, the tangled mess of tangled piping and cables giving way to polished marble. The Pharaoh gave a long sigh, pausing and taking another breath as he caught a smell that didn't belong. He turned to help Jabe out, watching as she too seemed to find something wrong.

"Is something burning?"

* * *

"Friends, friends, gather." Cassandra called all the ambassadors together, everyone turning their gaze to her. Tears shown in the corner of her eyes as she looked towards the Earth. "The Earth is entering her final moments. Let us celebrate her passing with a traditional Earth ballad."

One of the attendants booted up the jukebox again, the selected song coming out and blaring in the small room, the opening notes of Toxic marking the beginning of the end for the planet below them.

* * *

Yugi groaned and sat up, rubbing the side of his head. There was a dull pounding at his temples, but nothing more than that, which he was thankful for. He pushed off the ground, moving until he was resting against one of the large steps.

He couldn't remember what had happened, just that he had met the Adherents of the Repeated Meme before he had fallen unconscious. Yugi dropped his pounding head into his hands with another groan. It would be just his luck to have caught some alien disease. The Pharaoh was the only one that he knew that could help him, which meant more time stuck with the grumpy alien.

Yugi pushed himself from the ground, relaxing as he realized that he was in the first viewing room that they had arrived in. At least he would be able to be found at the end of this, even if he wanted to see the end of it. Although, he wasn't really sure anymore. He felt that he should see the end of Earth, as the planet had been his home for so long, but he didn't want to watch it burn because then it was so…final.

Yugi shook his head, taking a look at the planet below and wincing at the realization that it probably didn't have a lot of time left. This was it then, the end of everything that he had known. Yugi gave a harsh laugh, trying to see Japan from where he was standing. "I might be buried down there."

His short burst of laughter was brought to an end when the next breath of air he drew it felt dry, less cool than he was used to. Yugi took another look at the approaching sun before backing away from the window. He began to sweat as the room grew hotter, looking around for an explanation for the change that came in the next minute.

An almost cheerful feminine voice announced his doom as Yugi backed up the steps. "Sun filter, descending."

Yugi squeaked and rushed for the door, slamming his shoulder into it and whimpering as it wouldn't give. All the doors here were automatic…unless they were locked. He clawed at the door as he looked over his shoulder, gasping as he saw the top of the room beginning to blacken, a clear line slowly descending. He slid to the floor, crouching on the ground as he watched the horrible slow progress.

He tensed as he heard something on the other side of the door, pressing his ear against it in the hope of actually figuring out who was on the other side. His heart sunk as a familiar voice called out. "Hold on!"

"I'm dead!"

There was a pause on the other side, Yugi able to picture the look on the Pharaoh's face perfectly, one of repulsion. "Oh, it's you!"

"Of all the people to rescue me, it's the one who could care less!" Yugi looked back at the room, giving another undignified squeak as he noticed that the blackened line had drawn closer, sinking completely to the ground as he watched his death inch closer to him.

"Yes!"

"Sun filter, rising. Sun filter, rising." Yugi breathed a sigh of relief with those words, getting ready to stand up when he heard the voice again, throwing himself to the ground. "Sun filter, descending. Sun filter, descending."

"Are you trying to kill me?"

There was a muffled grunt from the other side of the door and then a curse, Yugi biting back a smile at the image of the Pharaoh cradling a hurt hand. It was a little light in his life, which was getting shorted by the minute. He cut off his laughter as the Pharaoh spoke again. "The damn computer isn't letting me in! I'm trying the long way!"

"I don't have time for the long way!" Yugi yelped as the door came under the assault of the sun, his breath coming in short pants. He was going to die years into the future and his mother would never know. None of them would ever know. He would have just disappeared one day and never come back. Yugi closed his eyes and pressed himself further against the floor, praying for a miracle.

"Sun filter, rising. Sun filter, rising." His eyes snapped open at the voice, looking up to see the slow crawl of burnt material had stopped, leaving one third of the door melted in its wake. The temperature of the room also returned to normal, Yugi panting for breath as he cautiously sat up. His joy was cut short by a curse from the other side.

"I can't get the door open! Still, you're probably safer in there, can't wander off!" There was a pause. "There's another sun filter deactivated!"

Yugi gasped as he heard footsteps retreating, throwing himself at the door as he realized what it meant. That stupid alien was just going to leave him here! Yugi punched the door, screaming from the pain in his hand and he slid down the metal surface, glaring at the view out the window. Now he was stuck here until the Pharaoh decided to let him out, if he remembered one insignificant human in the mess that they were in.

__

* * *

_Please read and review. Constructive criticism is welcome._


	8. Understanding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter Seven: Understanding**

**Chapter Seven: Understanding**

"_You think it'll last forever. The people, and cars, and concrete. But it won't. Then one day it's all gone. Even the sky.__"_

_-The Doctor_

The Pharaoh stopped his dash, staring at the smoke that was billowing from the office of the Steward. Mentally, he cursed himself for being too late, turning on his heel and storming for the main viewing room. At least he could content himself with the fact that he had saved one life. One life was important. And it was that human's, so they were even now. He could dump Yugi back on Earth without a problem.

He reached into his pocket, fingering the metal spider as he walked into the main viewing room, nodding at Jabe as the guests continued to talk in worried tones. They had probably already noticed that the room was getting warmer as well as smell the burning flesh. They all turned to him, Jabe looking at him with imploring eyes. The Pharaoh shook his head, looking over all of them evenly. "The Steward is dead."

There were quiet mutters around the room, the Pharaoh taking the moment to pull out the metal spider, watching it twitch back to life while keeping a firm hold on it. "But, what I want to know is; who is the one in control of these things? I'm guessing, and I'm never wrong, that they've been around the entire station. And, they will always return to their master."

The Pharaoh flipped the spider over, resetting the wires so that it would follow the signal back to its master before setting it on the floor and giving it a nudge with his foot. The metal spider zigzagged across the floor, seeming unsteady on its feet before stumbling towards Cassandra, pausing and then moving hurriedly to the Adherents of the Repeated Meme.

A gasp ran through the hall, the Pharaoh glaring at the metal spider. He raised an eyebrow as Cassandra gave a dramatic gasp. "Of course, the Adherents of the Repeated Meme. I knew they weren't to be trusted."

He rolled his eyes and walked over to one of the Adherents, leaning back bit as the Adherent reached out to attack him. He easy caught the clawed hand, staring at it and holding it in place. He could hear the others talking among themselves, the Pharaoh resisting the urge to roll his eyes again, reaching for the wire that he could feel in the clawed hand. "That's great, except for one thing. A meme is simply an idea. So a repeated meme is just one idea."

He pulled on the wire, stepping away as the Adherents slumped, the arm easily coming off in his hand. The Pharaoh stared at the arm before letting it drop to the floor, nudging the metal spider with his foot. This time the creature immediately scrambled over to Cassandra, not moving and staring up at her. The Pharaoh looked up at Cassandra with a smirk, watching her try and come up with an excuse.

The flap of skin finally came to a decision, glaring at him. "Always the smart ones. Boys!"

The Pharaoh took a step back as her attendants turned their hoses on him, raising an eyebrow. "What are you going to do, moisturize me?"

"These things contain acid as well." Cassandra smirked at him, the expression throwing him off his stride. She seemed to take it as a sign of defeat as did the others in the room because there came demands for her to tell them her plans. Cassandra glared at them. "Do you think it's cheap being this thin. Thinness costs a fortune. I was hoping to create a hostage situation with myself included, but it looks like I will have to resort to Plan B."

Her eyes narrowed as she stared at all of them. "I have shares in all of your rival companies which will skyrocket with you gone. So I thank you all. Enjoy the show."

The Pharaoh smothered a growl as her two attendants shuffled closer to her, the three of them disappearing as Cassandra activated her teleport, illegal in the platform. The Pharaoh shook his head, already feeling the heat from the sun as the computer was shut down. They would all be burned to a crisp soon, but he didn't intend for that to happen. He had survived the destruction of his own planet, he would survive this. "Come on."

He really wasn't sure who he snapped that out to, Jabe or the invisible companion he seemed to always turn to. He had traveled with humans and other humanoid creatures for so long it felt natural to be telling someone to keep up with him, the long silences difficult. He strode out of the room, puzzling this even as he and Jabe made their way back to the maintenance ducts.

Was that why he had picked up Yugi?

He couldn't stand the man, or that's what he told himself, but he had asked him to come along. He had asked him twice! And yet he had dumped Yugi to one side as soon as Jabe showed up. But that wasn't Yugi's fault. There was a part of him, the more masochistic part, that enjoyed the insults that Yugi would throw at him. And Yugi had seemed to adjust to his manner, verbally sparring with him with ease.

The Pharaoh felt the corner of his mouth quirk up into a smile before he dismissed it. He could figure out one human later, other things were pressing on him. At the thought he broke out into a jog, Jabe following after him as he ducked into the maintenance ducts. He could feel himself breaking out into a sweat, something that his lower body temperature usually didn't succumb to; which meant that things were beginning to get out of hand.

He ducked into the air-conditioning chamber, frowning when he saw the fans moving as fast as mechanically possible, trying frantically to cool down the station as the Sun grew hotter, and it still wouldn't be enough. And there, almost predictably on the other side, was the control switch. He rolled his eyes and cursed the engineers for even devising this design. The Pharaoh spotted a switch on the nearby wall, striding over to it and pulling it down, having to lean on it towards the end against its resistance.

The fans slowed, slow enough for someone to time them so they could walk across and get the master switch. The Pharaoh smiled, a solid plan in his head, and stepped away, hearing the switch that he had been leaning on snap back up. His eyes widened as the fans picked up the pace again, his eyes trying to follow them. The Pharaoh took a step back, preparing to walk back to the switch and find another plan when the fans slowed again, the Pharaoh twisting to see Jabe leaning on the switch.

"No." She raised an eyebrow at his tone. "The heat is going to be vented right through here. You're made out of wood, you'll burn."

"Then stop wasting time, Time Lord." Jabe smiled at him, the Pharaoh feeling a bit encouraged by that. It was almost like old times. A companion at his back, helping him along. How long had it been since he had traveled like that?

He turned back to stare at the fans, watching them turn and calculating when he should make his move. He took a deep breath and darted forward, overbalancing on the walkway he was on, suddenly aware that he was suspended above a long drop, but he was too used to that feeling to let it bother him. The Pharaoh began watching the next fan, feeling the sweat beginning to run down his face. He had to hurry up, for Jabe's sake.

The Pharaoh darted forward only to start back with a grunt, knowing that he had miscalculated as the fan's blade came dangerously close to hitting him. He settled back, darting forward a moment later and making it through the blades. He smirked to himself, walking up to the third fan and preparing to step through when something happened.

The blade started spinning faster, the Pharaoh following it with his eyes. But that was impossible, unless…He turned quickly, catching sight of something burning through the spinning blades, his eyes widening. Jabe. He hadn't been fast enough for her. She was paying the price.

Resolute, he turned back to the fan. No one else would suffer, he would make sure of that. His eyes followed the spinning blade, unable to keep up. The Pharaoh finally closed his eyes, relying on his other senses, feeling the blades of the fan moving through time, gaps occurring when they were no longer there.

He stepped forward, sighing as he did so. One moment he felt the wind generated by the blades of the fan on his front and then it was on his back. His eyes snapped open, staring at the switch in front of him. A celebration for that feat could wait until later. The Pharaoh ran the few steps to the master switch nearly throwing himself at it as he screamed to the computer. "Shields up!"

He heard the command being relayed, feeling a slight shudder go through the ship as the shields went up, the platform tipping a bit. The Pharaoh staggered, glancing around at the walls. The Earth must have been consumed by the Sun and a piece must have hit them for that kind of reaction from the ship. He stood at the end with the master switch for a while before stepping away, turning to look at the slowly turning fans.

The return journey was easier than the one over, the Pharaoh easily slipping through the spaces. He paused to look at the pile of ashes that was Jabe, his gaze sliding over the pile of ashes as he was not willing to think about that for too long. He ran a hand over his face before beginning to walk out of the room. He just had to keep thinking about other things, anything but the crushing silence that had come back into his head with Jabe's death.

But there had been so many over the years…so many deaths that could have been prevented if only…But he knew better than anyone that it was close to impossible for a single person to change time. Not without harming something.

The Pharaoh stepped out into the decadent corridor of the viewing platform, absently brushing himself off before walking towards the room where Yugi was trapped. He should probably let the human out, but that wasn't the driving force behind his action. He suddenly needed that companion, that one friend that would help him out no matter what. And he had chosen Yugi, probably during one of his less sane moments, but he was still better than nothing.

He came to a stop in front of the door, staring at it before pointing the sonic screwdriver at the mechanism. The computer would be too busy trying to repair the sun shields that would have gone down with the incident too question his entry. Now, he would only have to get past the door.

He was in luck because the mechanism managed to open it partially. He stared at the gap, sighing before pulling back on it, relieved that it moved. The Pharaoh grunted as he pulled the door back, annoyed that it was taking him this long. He was so busy that he didn't hear the footsteps on the other side of the door until they were close by. Another set of hands grasped the door, the Pharaoh staring at them as Yugi helped him.

Between the two of them they got the door open wide enough for Yugi to slip through. The young man leaned against the wall, panting for breath as the Pharaoh turned to walk to the main viewing room, softly spoken words making him stop abruptly. "Thank you."

He turned around to stare at Yugi as the young man pushed away from the wall and walked towards him, a brilliant smile on his face. "I mean it. Thank you."

Yugi was walking away again, leaving the Pharaoh standing there in amazement. No one _ever_ thanked him, cursed him maybe, but never thanked him. What he did was horrible. He would chose keeping the timelines straight over people, people that he would inevitably get to know well. That sort of behavior shouldn't be thanked.

But still, those simple words had meant so much to him.

The Pharaoh took a shaky breath before following Yugi, noticing that the young man had stopped to wait for him. The two headed for the main viewing room, the Pharaoh taking a deep breath at the smell of burnt flesh, which meant that another had died. Yugi's gasp was barely a half second after his, the human walking faster.

The viewing room was in a state of disarray, the Pharaoh spotting the chair of the Moxx of Balhoon, the Moxx himself burnt to nothing. The Pharaoh forced himself to look away from the steaming chair and towards where Jabe's attendants were trying to deal with the still heated station. He walked over to them, both of them looking up at he approached. There was a reason that he didn't do this part often, he usually just left.

"I'm sorry." That was enough, the two bowing their heads before leaving, probably to collect her ashes to be transported back to the Forest of Cheem.

The Pharaoh spun on his heel, storming back over to where Yugi was staring, looking with wide eyes at the destruction. The young man looked back up at him, hurt in his large violet eyes. The Pharaoh hesitated for a moment before beginning to talk, explaining things to Yugi as he worked.

"Cassandra used a short range teleport, which means that there had to be a signaling device here." The Pharaoh glanced around the room before storming over to the ostrich egg. He picked it up, taking a second to notice that it was lighter than it should have been before smashing it on the pedestal that it sat on. A small black device tumbled out, the Pharaoh catching it before it could fall to the floor. "To get her back, we simply reverse the signal."

Cassandra appeared slowly, the teleport dying her blue for a moment, the flap of skin apparently still talking to whoever had been with her. "And they are probably still there. Amazing how easy…" She trailed off as she realized where she was, her blue eyes darting around before settling on the Pharaoh, clearing her throat before speaking. "Ah…well done. You can now join…the Human Club."

The Pharaoh shook his head, crossing his arms. Not saying anything. He looked to either side of her, realizing that her attendants hadn't come with her, rocking back on his heels as Cassandra became annoyed at his silence.

"It won't stop me, this little interlude. There are still ways to complete my plan and they'll never catch me. I'll be free to wander and flirt and-"

"Creak?" The Pharaoh smirked at the sound that was beginning to come from Cassandra, noticing a reddening of the skin close to the pins that kept her on her frame.

"What?" Her eyes widened briefly before closing. "Oh, oh, I'm cracking up. Moisturize me, moisturize me!"

"No one here, Cassandra, just you."

"No. Have pity."

He heard Yugi walk up beside him, the young man hesitating a moment before resting a hand on the Pharaoh's shoulder to get his attention. The Pharaoh looked down at him, surprised that Yugi had even come over.

"Please," Yugi looked over at Cassandra, "help her."

The Pharaoh shook his head, turning his eyes back to watch the makeshift execution. "Everything has it's time and everything dies."

"I'm too young!" Cassandra bellowed out the words before her thin form no longer held, skin flying as the tension that held her in place let go. The Pharaoh stood still as the pieces flew around the room, Yugi ducking as one piece nearly hit him. He glanced back with disinterest, rolling his shoulders before walking out of the room.

He would have to find a way to release the shuttles for the guests, seeing as Cassandra would have been sure to be sure that they wouldn't be able to escape that way. As he left, he heard the Face of Boe muttering something to one of the staff about a dark game scenario as he left, shaking his head before taking the turn that would lead him to the shuttle bay.

* * *

"Last shuttle, departing." Yugi barely glanced up at the soft voice of the computer, too intent on the dance of the rocks outside the large viewing window, all of the pieces bathed with the soft red glow of the expanding sun. He felt a tear run down his face even as he watched the debris with eyes wide with wonder.

It was horrible and it was beautiful.

And he hadn't been watching when the Earth had finally died. He remembered the events around that time perfectly. The sun filter had been falling again, leaving Yugi to try and press himself as close to the ground as possible, even to the point of rolling off the edge of one step to press himself against the next one in a frantic bid to escape the direct path of the sun, sweating profusely from the heat.

He wiped the tear away from his face, stiffening as he heard footsteps crossing the room over to him. That would be the Pharaoh, probably ready of offer some quip on how the planet of stupid humans was finally gone so they wouldn't be around to annoy him anymore. He was not prepared for the Pharaoh to stop by his side, staring out at the floating rocks and remaining silent.

Yugi looked at the man out of the corner of his eye before sighing and running his hands over his face. "Nobody saw it go. We were all too busy trying to save our own lives that it just…went."

The Pharaoh seemed to consider this for a moment before taking Yugi's hand and giving it a gentle tug. "Come with me."

Their hands were dropped soon after they started walking, Yugi lagging a bit behind as he still tried to get his mind around the fact that his planet was gone. So, technically, he was homeless. He ran a hand through his hair, staring at the cream marble that passed under his feet, his mind refusing to function beyond those two thoughts.

He barely noticed as the Pharaoh led him to the TARDIS, opening the doors to the blue box and gently leading Yugi over to the seat. The young man allowed himself to be arranged on the seat, looking up and watching the Pharaoh move around the console, his eyes following the motion automatically. There was something like a dance about it, but the Pharaoh didn't seem to realize it, just moving around the console without any real care.

Yugi was nearly thrown out of the seat when the TARDIS landed. He slid out of the seat and followed the Pharaoh to the door, blinking in confusion when the Pharaoh gestured for him to step out first. Yugi stared at him before walking out, staring at the sidewalk that he was on before moving further out, his eyes widening as he looked at the traffic on the sidewalk.

He was home. He was on Earth. He was back.

Yugi moved through the crowd, up to the corner and back, a look on confusion on his face as he saw the Pharaoh leaning against a wall by the TARDIS, seeming to ponder something. Yugi pulled himself onto the wall, the Pharaoh seeming to ignore him for a moment, preferring to stare out over the crowds that were moving.

"You think that it will end." Yugi turned to look at him, his head tipping to the side in a silent question. The Pharaoh glanced at him briefly before jerking his head in the direction of the people. "Them too. You all think that it will end it war or pollution or some sort of Armageddon, but you never think that it may survive."

Yugi nodded in agreement, biting his lip. It always seemed that they were worrying about one thing or another obsessively about their planet. And it never had occurred to him that it might actually make it through everything that the humans did. He rested his chin in his hand, just watching the people go on with their lives.

It was funny, he had spent so much of his life in that crowd, rushing around with the rest of them and never looking around. It was relaxing to take a step back and just watch for once. And he realized how much he had been missing. In his old life, he had never stopped to look at these things, or enjoyed the simple pleasure of sitting on a wall, the feel of the bricks underneath one hand and his legs. He smiled to himself, staring at the moving crowd. He looked over at the Pharaoh as he shifted, raising an eyebrow for a moment before noticing that the Pharaoh appeared to be thinking had about something before he sighed, leaning back further against the wall. "My whole planet is gone."

"What?"

"It burned, like the Earth did, but before it's time." The Pharaoh slumped, Yugi reaching out to touch his shoulder when he started speaking again. "There was a war, and we lost."

There was silence between them, Yugi suddenly feeling bad for pushing the Pharaoh to talk about his people and his planet on the viewing platform. He should have been able to figure it out from the way he avoided the subject, but he had been too angry that the Pharaoh had allowed the TARDIS into his head, a fact that he was still debating about. Yugi glanced back at the blue box, considering it for a moment. Now he didn't mind, realizing that it was doing nothing to hurt him. It would have been better it the Pharaoh had told him or asked, but he could deal with this.

He looked back at the Pharaoh as he spoke again. "I'm a Time Lord, the last of the Time Lords." He heaved a sigh, looking like he was going to slide down the wall as he admitted that bit of information. "There's no one left."

"There's me." Yugi smiled, the expression wavering as the Pharaoh scoffed at his offer. Yugi was about to yell at the man for his callous treatment of the honest offer when the Pharaoh shifted, looking him directly in the eye.

"You've seen it. Are you sure that you still want to do this?"

"I…" Yugi stared at the Pharaoh, his mind just beginning to comprehend what he had offered with those two words. For a moment, he felt that it was too much to offer to the man. After all, he had a life down here. But he blinked at that thought, looking down at his feet. His life down here just boiled down to taking care of his mother and working, the latter disappearing with the destruction of his job. He ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head as he looked up. "I don't know what I want…I…"

He sat up abruptly, taking a deep breath as he caught the scent of hamburgers, a smile crossing his face. "Can you smell hamburgers?" The Pharaoh shot him a sidelong glance, chuckling and shaking his head. Yugi gave him a light smack on the back of his head before jumping down from the wall. "I want hamburgers."

"Alright, but you pay." Yugi stared up at him in disbelief, the Pharaoh rubbing the back of his head. Under the gaze, the man just shrugged. "No money. It makes things…complicated."

Yugi rolled his eyes before storming over to the fast food restaurant, the Pharaoh trailing after him. He glared at his traveling companion as they waited in line, ordering and paying for the both of them before they retreated back to their wall, Yugi digging into his hamburger while the Pharaoh seemed to daintily eat his, the two of them enjoying the companionable silence that drifted between them. It wasn't until Yugi had started on his fries that he felt like they should talk.

"So," he examined the fry that he held, frowning when it folded over on itself, "is it always like that?"

The Pharaoh nodded, crumpling up the paper that his hamburger had come in before tossing it at the nearest trash can, smirking back at Yugi when it arced perfectly into the bin. He folded his arms, resting the sole of one boot against the wall. "Most likely."

"Dangerous?"

"Always."

Yugi tipped his head to the side, eating through his fries as he thought. He could always go home or ask to be taken back the instant he has left when he felt that he couldn't handle this anymore. But he couldn't get one thing out of his head. Even when he felt lost or scared, he couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder. He was just Yugi Mutou, the boy from Domino City, former employee of the Black Crown and he was out among the stars. It was beyond anything that he had ever imagined, especially after giving up on most of his dreams. It was better than anything he could imagine.

He nodded his head, the Pharaoh staring at him for a long moment until Yugi felt that he had to explain. "There's me."

The man processed his statement before smiling, the first genuine smile that Yugi had seen in a long time. The Pharaoh pushed away from the wall, waiting to come back from scurrying to the nearest trashcan and heading back before walking towards the TARDIS, Yugi practically bounding after him. Yugi was the one to swing the TARDIS door shut, running up the ramp to lean against one part of the console, smiling at the Pharaoh who was standing on the other side of the console. "Where to now?"

"I promises you a time machine. You've been to the future, now for the past. Choose somewhere."

"Anywhere?"

The Pharaoh rolled his eyes. "Do you doubt the TARDIS? Chose a place and we'll get there."

Yugi tapped his fingers against the console for a moment. "Somewhere in Europe at Christmas."

The Pharaoh nodded, beginning to move around the console. Yugi backed away to let him work. The Pharaoh paused close to him, adjusting one of the various knobs on the TARDIS, although this one looked like something used to change gears on a bike. "Naples, Christmas of 1860."

"Sounds good to me." Yugi laughed, the Pharaoh flashing him a smile before going back to his work around the console.

__

* * *

_Please read and review. Criticism is always welcome._


	9. The Unquiet Dead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter Eight: The Unquiet Dead**

**Chapter Eight: The Unquiet Dead**

"_Think about it, though. Christmas 1860. It happened once. Just once, and it's… gone, it's finished. It'll never happen again. Except for you. You can go back and see days that are dead and gone, a hundred thousand sunsets ago. No wonder you never stay still"_

_-Rose Tyler_

"I am truly sorry for your loss." The young man shook his head, staring at the casket in front of him, hands clenching on the sides of the wooden coffin. He turned his head to look over his shoulder at the balding man that stood here, barely taking in the black suit that the man wore before turning back to the coffin, staring at the wrinkled face of the woman. He sighed, leaning forward and shaking his head.

"I don't understand, she was always so lively. It seems impossible that she could just be…" He shook his head again, staring at the floor and the toes of his black shoes. "Could you allow me a moment, Mr. Sneed. I just require more time to say good-bye."

Mr. Sneed gave a quick half bow, backing away. "Of course, sir. Just call if you need my assistance."

The young man watched him go before lifting his shaking hands up from the casket to put them over his face, trembling slightly. He missed his grandmother, the old woman has raised him since his parents had died when he had been young.

Too entrenched in his sorrow, he missed the blue vapor that came from the gas lamps, swirling around the coffin close to the ceiling before descending into the corpse that sat in the coffin. His grandmother's eyes snapped open, the corpse slowly sitting up and turning to look at the young man.

He gave a muffled sob before looking up, his eyes going wide as he noticed that his grandmother was looking at him. He smiled, his mouth open to speak with his grandmother reached out and wrapped her hand around his neck and squeezing. The young man gasped and scrambled at the fingers around his neck, choking and trying to make some sort of noise to summon Mr. Sneed from the other room.

Mr. Sneed rushed into the room seconds later, his mouth dropping open in shock as he watched the corpse drop her former grandson to the ground. He glanced over at the wall, grabbing the lid to the coffin that had been lying propped up against the wall. He rushed over to the coffin, struggling to run and hold the lid as the corpse made to get out. Mr. Sneed nearly jumped over the body, slamming the lid back on the grandmother, growling when she fought back. He pushed his full weight on the lid, grunting with the effort that it took. But it was still a wasted effort, the corpse easily throwing Mr. Sneed and the lid away from her just as easily.

He knocked his head against the table, wincing and raising his hand to cover his head, pulling his fingers away when he felt something wet on his fingers. Mr. Sneed hissed at the sight of blood, looking back up to see the corpse of the grandmother walk out into the street, probably moaning by now. He pushed from the ground, one hand fumbling for his handkerchief as he ran out of the room, leaping awkwardly over the other corpse on the floor. "Gwyneth!"

He slowed down, panting for breath as he headed for the front door, still dabbing his forehead with his handkerchief. Mr. Sneed perked up at the sound of the door opening, turning to watch as the Welsh woman walked in, her black hair cut short, matching the black of her maid uniform. He quickly pocked his handkerchief, looking at her. "Mr. Sneed, what happened?"

"Another one. This one strangled her grandson!"

"Mr. Sneed, for shame!"

"How was I to know that she would walk?"

Gwyneth shook her head, her hands fisting in her skirts. "How many more must we put up with?"

"I don't know, but we have to find her. Are the horses ready?"

"I just finished putting them up." Gwyneth sighed and turned back to get the horses ready, Mr. Sneed grabbing his coat and rushing out after her. They didn't have the time to stand on ceremony here, that corpse had to be found quickly. He picked up the tangle of the harness, slipping it onto the black horse as Gwyneth got the hearse ready, the two easily getting the vehicle onto the street in no time.

Mr. Sneed clambered up into the driver's seat, lowering a hand to help Gwyneth into the seat, slapping the reins over the back of the black horse and encouraging it out into the snow covered cobbles. They traveled a few feet in silence before he looked at his servant, drawing her attention by clearing his throat. She turned to look at him, some apprehension in her gaze. He winced at that, hating that he was asking this of her, but it had never been wrong before. He leaned a little bit forward, talking in a low voice to keep the other people who were out at night from hearing him. "I need you to find her. Use the Sight."

"I…I can't" She looked away, staring at the street. Mr. Sneed touched her shoulder, encouraging her to look back at him. "It's not right, sir."

"Now listen here, you do as I say or we'll both be out of a job and you'll be back on the streets."

She shivered and closed her eyes, Mr. Sneed letting her have the moment while he kept driving. He watched her out of the corner of his eye, relaxing when Gwyneth opened her eyes again, her gaze slightly unfocused. That was good, it meant that Gwyneth was looking. He waited, holding his breath until he realized what he was doing, letting his breath out in a rush. In the exhalation, he almost missed Gwyneth beginning to speak, her voice so soft.

"She was excited. She had been looking forward to this day for a long time. She had the ticket in her pocket."

"For what?" He was getting impatient. The longer the corpse was out, the more likely trouble was going to happen. And then he would be called to get the body, and it would be spread around that the body had been in his care. His reputation would crumble after that. And that would be a hard blow to him with his business was already barely breaking even, but it was against his religion to pray for the death of people just to keep money coming in.

Gwyneth sucked in a quick breath, sitting back in the seat. "She was off to see the great man. The great, great man…" She blinked and shook her head, looking over at Mr. Sneed. "I know where she is. Head toward the theater."

Mr. Sneed nodded and urged the horse to a faster pace, taking the next turn to keep away from the major traffic areas. People were disturbed by the sight of the hearse, Mr. Sneed often trying to keep it from sight, as it was a reminder of his job. But right now, he was totally focused on getting the corpse back to the funeral home before people saw it.

* * *

"Ten minutes, Mr. Dickens." The elderly man who was addressed looked up, nodding and taking a final sip out of his glass before staring at the mirror. The stage hand frowned and leaned a bit further into the dressing room, looking at the despondent reflection of the man in the mirror. Charles Dickens caught his gaze, turning around in his chair, the stage hand blushing at being caught. Dickens shook his head, leaning back in his chair.

"I am far too used to being stared at to bother anymore. Far too used to many things to bother anymore." He sighed and looked at the empty glass that rested on the table, picking up and rolling it around in his hand. "I have reached the end of my creativity and feel used and dry."

The stage hand bit his lip, looking down at the floor before daring to look back up at Dickens. "Well, it's nearly Christmas."

"To quote myself, ba humbug." Dickens gave a strained smile before leaning forward. "The Christmas season has no standing on my health, even if I were with my family, they no longer understand." He sighed, setting the glass down on the table before standing up, the stagehand giving him an encouraging smile that wasn't quite recognized. He sighed and reached for his coat, mentally preparing himself for the performance. "On with the motley."

He followed the stagehand onto the stage, adjusting his coat as he walked. His heart sank a bit at the sight of the red curtain. That's all this was, just another performance, another repetition of what he had done. There was just nothing original left him, drained of all his original thoughts. Maybe he had thought everything he would ever think. Dickens shook his head, clearing it before stepping out to the smatter of applause from the audience. He surveyed the people who had come, just another crowd and just another performance. By now, he had _The Christmas Carol_ memorized, but he stood at the podium and pretended to read out of the book anyway. It was all part of the performance.

Dickens began to read, his voice automatically going through the right inflections and looking over the audience. There were few parts that he could still really get into, but the spark was fading there too. It was scary in a way, but he didn't let himself linger on that thought, he was too focused on just giving his performance for the people. After all, they had paid for it and he earned money from it. And performance seemed like the only thing he could do now, seeing as he had ran out of creativity.

He forged ahead through his own book, absently describing the knocker and Scrooge's reaction to it when he noticed one elderly woman out in the audience, his attention drawn to her again and again. Dickens found he couldn't look away, amazed that the image from his book was being replayed right in front of him, not really aware that he had started stuttering as he stared at the woman's face. There was something unearthly about her, chilling and cold. Dickens shifted as he saw her face beginning to glow slightly blue, his eyes widening as he finally broke out of his comfortable rut, raising a shaking hand to point at the woman. "It looked like that!"

The audience turned to look at the woman, people screaming and rushing out of their seats and heading for the exits. On her part, the elderly woman only stood up and tipped her head back, letting out a moan that turned slowly into a screech. Dickens stumbled back against his podium, feeling it shift slightly as he leaned his weight against it, craning his neck back to see the streams of blue emerge from the elderly woman, rising to the ceiling and swirling around the hall.

* * *

"Come on!" Yugi winced as the Pharaoh hit the TARDIS console, opening his mouth to say something when a particularly hard rock of the ship jolted him to one side. He scrambled for a better hold, almost loosing his hold before the ship came to an abrupt stop. He was thrown against the console, coughing as the breath was knocked out of him. He glared up at the Pharaoh, who was looking incredibly smug. Yugi groaned and peeled himself away from the console, rubbing his aching stomach.

The Pharaoh smirked and pointed at the door, gesturing for Yugi to open it first. The young man paused, looking down at himself before giving a shrug. He was sure that the Pharaoh would warn him if his clothes were a little off for the time. Of course, he could have been more extreme than the jeans and black shirt that he was wearing, but he hadn't been expecting to be dragged through time. Yugi smiled before walking to the door, resting his hand on the wood of the door before cautiously opening it, his mouth dropping open as he saw the snow that layered the ground. He took a foot and stepped in the snow, smiling at the print that his sneakers left behind. Yugi shivered and backed into the TARDIS, looking partially apologetic. "A coat would be nice."

The Pharaoh rolled his eyes and wandered through the doorway that Yugi assumed led to other parts of the TARDIS, probably muttering something about stupid humans. He returned movements later with a jacket that he threw at Yugi, who caught is clumsily before rushing out the TARDIS door to stand in the snow again, looking up at the sky and taking a deep breath. The air was different here in Naples, cleaner than back in Domino, which was something that he was very glad off. He took a step forward, only to be caught by the Pharaoh, pouting as the Time Lord walked out beside him, looking around with a nod. "See, no problem. You wanted a time machine and you got a time machine."

The TARDIS was given a pat before they set off, leaving the side street they were parked in for the main street, Yugi fighting the urge to shrink behind the Pharaoh as he looked at all the people. They were all dressed so differently than they were, top hats and dark colored coats as they strolled along the lamp lit street. He swallowed nervously, keeping up with the Pharaoh's long strides as they kept on the sidewalk, tipping his head up to look at the architecture, so different from the old styles that he saw around Domino and out into the country. Western architecture. He smiled to himself.

And he had thought that he would never get anywhere in his life. He thought that he would be stuck in one place. Look at him now, traveling through time and all over the world, being bold. It was one thing that he never thought that he would be able to do. Yugi smiled, reaching out discretely to brush his fingertips against the brick of one of the buildings, sighing at the slightly rough texture. This is what life should be like. Utterly amazing.

He turned his head to look at the Pharaoh, noticing that the Time Lord had wandered off to get a newspaper, walking ahead while reading the headline. Yugi frowned when the Pharaoh stopped abruptly, staring at something in the paper. He ran up to the Pharaoh, trying to look at the paper only to have the Pharaoh hide it from him. He glared at the Pharaoh's back as the Time Lord moved off, running to catch up and poke the Pharaoh in the back in passing. The Time Lord glared at him briefly before rolling his eyes. "What?"

"You looked like you were given bad news? Am I right?"

The Pharaoh shifted uncomfortably before looking down at him. "It's not that bad."

"That bad?"

"Look," the Pharaoh turned, his coat flaring out behind him, "it's still Christmas."

Yugi nodded, staring after him as the Pharaoh walked off, smiling himself before running after the Pharaoh. "Okay, then when are we. Are in just in the future?"

"No. It's 1869."

Yugi shrugged at the announcement, rolling his eyes. "That's not bad. So we're nine years off. We're here, in Naples, at Christmas." He noticed the flinch when he mentioned the place, staring at the Pharaoh. "_Where_ are we?"

"Cardiff, Wales."

Yugi came to an abrupt stop, his mind trying to work over what he had been given. He tapped a few fingers against his leg before throwing his hands up in the air. "Where's Wales?"

The Pharaoh stopped walking, spinning around to stare at Yugi. "It's a small country on the island of Britain, under British rule."

Yugi couldn't help it; he began to laugh, having to lean against the building to keep from sliding to the snowy sidewalk. He pushed away after drawing in a deep breath, walking over to the Pharaoh with a smirk on his face, trying to hide his laughter and look thoughtful. "So, you are telling me, that the only thing that you got right was the date?"

The Pharaoh, as he predicted, completely ignored his question. Somehow, that amused Yugi even more. The great Pharaoh was _wrong_ and he could be _wrong_. This made everything better. Now there were infinite possibilities for comebacks. As for now, he would just smile, making sure to annoy the Pharaoh with the fact that he was _not_ infallible. Unfortunately, the Pharaoh beat him to the punch, spinning around to confront him on the sidewalk. "Listen, the TARDIS is old and I do the best I can with your primitive materials to keep her in shape. So there is a chance that, through faulty Earth material, we will land off target. Got it?"

Yugi nodded, but just continued smirking. Of course the Pharaoh would try to cover with that. Yugi shrugged, nearly skipping along the street as the Pharaoh followed after him, the Time Lord still in a bad mood. Yugi was about to turn around and continue his teasing when he heard screams, jerking in the direction of the sound. The move, thankfully, brought him out of the path of the paper as the Pharaoh threw it to the side, the insane smile crossing his face. Yugi shook his head, walking in the direction of the screams. "Will it ever be quiet with you?"

"Never." The Pharaoh took off across the street, leaving Yugi to cautiously look both ways, having to edge around the hearse that was parked there. He absently gave the black horse's muzzle a pat before dashing after the Pharaoh.

He entered the theater at top speed, having to fight through the masses of people escaping; catching a glimpse of the Pharaoh's coat every once and a while through the rush of people. Yugi wriggled his way through a small space between the flow of people and the doorframe, wincing as his side was slammed against the frame before he finally way free. He stumbled into the room, continuing his running just to avoid being pulled out with the flow of people. But his eyes were fixed on the ceiling. Blue gaseous shapes were floating around the ceiling, circling low around a single elderly lady still in the seats. Even as Yugi watched, she collapsed, two people rushing in from the sides immediately to grab her.

"Pharaoh!" The Pharaoh turned to look at him from his place on the stage, Yugi taking the opportunity to scramble onto the back row of seats. "I'll go after her!"

He jumped over the seats, easily making his way towards the end of the row. He kept his eyes on the people who were heading out of the door, making good time since they were going with the flow of people, just before Yugi slipped out of the door, he thought he heard the Pharaoh shout after him, "Be careful!"

Yugi tore out from the theater, heading out onto the sidewalk. He paused there, looking around for the two people that he was follow, his eyes widening as he saw that the two people loading the elderly woman into the hearse. He gave a low growl and charged across the street, glad that there wasn't a lot of traffic this late at night. "Stop!"

He saw the two look at each other before the man walked over to the front of the hearse, the woman going to block the elderly woman that they had carried out here. He slid to a stop, frowning when the woman began a hurried explanation. "Oh, this poor old woman just went and collapsed from the heat of that theater and the prose of Mr. Dickens. We'll be taking her home safely."

Yugi wiggled around her, using his small size to his advantage. He heard the woman gasp, ignoring the sound while he rested his fingers against the elderly woman's neck. He had learned this for work, going through a quick seminar on CPR and learning where to take a pulse. To his shock and horror, there was no pulse, just cold skin. Yugi pulled his hand away, looking down at it for a while before glancing up at the woman. "She's dead."

He began to back around the woman, staring at her in horror. What had happened in the short time it had taken him to get out here? What had they done to her? The woman had obviously been alive when she was in the theater. Yugi shook his head, pointing a shaking finger at the woman. "You killed her!"

"No, no, you misunderstand." Yugi was about to retort when he felt a strong hand land on his shoulder an arm wrapping around him before pressing a strange smelling cloth to his face. His eyes widened and he tried to struggle, his limbs getting weak even as he tried to move. Quickly, he slumped in the hold that the man had on him, his consciousness slowly fading away, vaguely hearing the conversation between the two.

"What have you done?"

"I don't know. I panicked! Now, get him into the hearse."

Yugi wanted to protest, almost able to smile as the woman spoke up. "But he's still alive!"

"Now listen here, we have no time for this! Put him in the hearse and we'll deal with him later." Yugi had the sensation of being moved before everything went black.

* * *

The Pharaoh leaned against the stage, partially assured that Yugi would take care of himself while dealing with the people who had carried the elderly woman out. Right now, his attention was focused on the ghostly forms that were floating around the ceiling. He frowned before jumping up onto the stage, ignoring the people shouting and just watching the creatures.

They gave the room another frantic circled before one of them ventured too close to one of the gas powered laps, being sucked it. The Pharaoh stared at the lamp before looking at the rest of the ghostly forms, eyes widening as they too were absorbed into lamps. He stared at the nearest wall, wracking his brain for a cause when something turned him around, the Time Lord staring down at the man who had been on stage while everything had happened.

"You! Did you cause-"

"Did you see anything?" The Pharaoh ignored the fact that he had just interrupted someone, turning his head to stare at the nearest gas lamp. What creature would need gas like that? He shook his head, he was working off too little information. He turned back to the man on the stage, awaiting his answer. The man just stared at him, his mouth open in amazement. The Pharaoh rolled his eyes and ran for the exit. He would regroup with Yugi and pick the human's brain. Maybe Yugi had seen something that he had missed. He was sure that the elderly woman was important to this.

He slowed when he stepped out into the night, his eyes scanning for Yugi. The human should be still out here if he had managed to stop those two, and Yugi wasn't exactly hard to spot. The Pharaoh turned in place, coming to an abrupt stop when he saw a flash of black and red spiked hair, his eyes following the limp fall of an arm as a woman stuffed a body into a hearse. His mouth suddenly felt dry, the Pharaoh unable to do anything for a while. Because it couldn't be true. He wouldn't let it be true.

He forced himself to move as the hearse began to pull away, running to the nearest cab and pulling open the door. He scrambled halfway in before looking up and shouting at the driver, "Follow that hearse!"

The man from the stage crawled in after him, the Pharaoh shooting him a look of loathing before focusing on the slow moving coach. He peeked out the window, frustrated to see the hearse so far ahead. He leaned out the window. "Faster, we don't want to lose them!"

"Why should we?" The Pharaoh pulled his head back in and stared at the man. "This is my coach!"

"Well then tell the driver to move faster!"

"No!" The Pharaoh turned his glare on the man, ready to tell him off when the driver looked back at them, yelling back at them. "Everything alright, Mr. Dickens?"

The Pharaoh stared at the man. "You're Charles Dickens."

"Yes."

He briskly shook Dickens' hand. "You're books were amazing…mostly."

"What do you mean by mostly?"

The Pharaoh didn't answer already focusing on the hearse that they were chasing. "Now, I've got someone to get to and some ghosts to figure out."

"They weren't ghosts."

"Exactly."

Dickens paused at his forthright answer before leaning forward. "Driver, faster."

The carriage lurched forward, Dickens nearly thrown from his seat with the move, the Pharaoh keeping his balance easily. His focused on the clatter of hooves on the ground rather than his own racing thoughts. It wouldn't help him if he got ahead of himself. But the matter of what exactly those creatures were was bothering him. Because ghosts did not exist, at least, not like that. The Pharaoh leaned slightly on the wall of the carriage closer to him, mentally repeating the species of alien that would appear and disappear like that, and still getting nothing. There was still too much information that he was missing.

He jolted out of his thoughts as the carriage came to a stop, bolting out of the vehicle before Dickens could move. He took a glance at the gloomy house before walking up to the door and knocking on it. He heard Dickens come panting up behind him, looking over his shoulder at the man before the door was opened, the Pharaoh recognizing the woman from the theater; the same woman who had loaded Yugi into the hearse. His frown deepened when she put on a smile and spoke. "I'm sorry, we're closed."

"Nonsense. Since when did an undertaker keep office hours? The dead don't die on schedule." Dickens snapped at the woman, the Pharaoh watching her flinch back under the verbal barrage, his attention suddenly distracted by a sudden flicker of a lamp further down the hall. The lamp was too far from the door to be affected by the draft, which left it no reason to be behaving like that. The Pharaoh pushed past the woman, ignoring her calls for him to come back, placing his ear on the wall and gently tapping it.

"Sounds like you've got something in your pipes." He stood up straight, waiting for the woman to respond when he heard a scream; a scream in a familiar voice. The Pharaoh spun on his heel, locating the sound quickly and running down the hall. He shoved aside the man, running for the room where the screaming was coming from. It was Yugi's voice.

__

* * *

_Please read and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome._


	10. Speaker for the Gelth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter Nine: Speaker for the Gelth**

**Chapter Nine: Speaker for the Gelth**

"_I saw the fall of Troy. World War Five. I pushed boxes at the Boston Tea Party. Now I'm going to die in a dungeon. In Cardiff!"_

_-The Doctor_

Yugi's head pounded as he woke up, raising one hand to rest on his forehead as he sat up. For a moment, he couldn't remember what had happened, and then he remembered the two people and the elderly woman who had died. He quickly sat up the rest of the way, gasping as his head pounded more viciously. He groaned and cradled his head in his hands, waiting for the room to stop spinning before looking up. He swallowed nervously as he realized where he was.

The walls were painted dark red and draped with dark red fabric. His eyes widened as he connected the dots, one hand dropping to touch the surface he was sitting on, his gaze dropping to the grey fabric. His hands stroked absently over it, not noticing the blue gas that leaked from the lamps, flowing from them to the two bodies in caskets, other things that he had not noticed. He shuddered at the thought, wrapping his arms around him and turning around, falling off the small table as he found himself staring at the empty eyes of two people; both of which who were sitting up from the caskets. Yugi scrambled to his feet, backing away as the corpses climbed out of their coffins and began walking towards him.

Now Yugi cursed himself for being so stupid for not noticing the paleness of the elderly woman's face, she had been dead before he had gotten into the theater. He backed away from the slowly advancing corpses, feeling his breath coming in quick pants as he tried to think of something to do. He leapt to one side as the corpse of the young man lunged for him, grunting as he hit the door. Yugi turned and pulled at the doorknob, letting out a low curse when he realized that it was locked. He was still trying to turn the doorknob when one of the corpses grabbed him around the neck, Yugi giving a choked gasp before he was pulled against the cold body of the corpse. In the moment that the grip loosened, he let out a scream, struggling until the chokehold came back.

He clawed at the arm, shuddering at the feel of the skin under his fingertips, wondering if he should just go limp in the hold when the door was forced open. He smiled when he saw the Pharaoh standing in the door. Yugi was yanked out of the corpse's hold, forcing himself not to cling to the Pharaoh. He glanced back at the other people who had followed them, recognizing the two people who had brought the woman from the theater and the man who had been standing onstage. The Pharaoh took a moment to look down at him, glancing back at the man before shrugging. "That's Charles Dickens."

"Really?"

His question went unanswered as the corpses lumbered closer the body of the young man tipping his head to the side. To Yugi's surprise, the corpse spoke, the rasping voice echoing, like there were two voices in the body. "Fading. Can't sustain this form. Open the Rift and set us free!"

Yugi felt the Pharaoh stiffen beside him. "Rift?"

The corpse didn't answer, still staring blankly ahead at them. "No time, fading. Pity us. Pity the Gelth!"

The two corpses convulsed, their heads jerking backwards and the blue gaseous forms emerging from them. Yugi gasped, watching the specters appear briefly in a wavering form before they were sucked back into the nearest lamps with a wail. Seconds later, the two corpses collapsed to the ground, Yugi shivering as he watched them go still. What if the Pharaoh hadn't gotten here in time? Would he have ended up like them as well? He shuddered violently at the thought, feeling a light touch on the shoulder from the Pharaoh before the contact was gone. They remained in silence for a while before the woman moved, picking up her skirts to move around the cluster of men in the doorway. "I'll make tea."

Yugi found himself steered down the hall after the rest of the group, the hands on his shoulders directing him to a room and sitting him down in a chair. He continued to stare at the floor, waiting until he felt the Pharaoh had stopped his pacing around the room before speaking. "What were they talking about?"

"Oh, come now!" Yugi looked up at Charles Dickens, watching the man pace by the fireplace as he talked. "You cannot believe that those things are real! It's just a matter of smoke and mirrors, someone trying to trick us."

The owner of the house looked up. "There are rumors about this place being haunted, that's how I got the house so cheap. It's almost expected for someone in my line of business."

"See!" Dickens pointed at the house owner, turning to glare at the Pharaoh. "There is nothing important about this. You've got your little friend so now I am free to leave. You can carry on with this mad ghost hunt but I shall not be a part of it."

The Pharaoh rolled his eyes, leaning on the back of the chair that Yugi was sitting in. "And that shows how little you truly know. Something _is_ going on here. Now, about those rumors?"

The man nodded. "Well, I bought the house cheap because of the ghost stories, like I said. People have always said this house has been haunted by spirits, said that they heard things or saw shapes. I thought nothing of it because I never believed it until…" He bit his lip and looked over at his maid, who had just come in with the tea. "Until the first corpses started walking, nearly scared me to death."

Yugi quietly accepted his cup of tea, staring at the china for a moment before glancing up at the Pharaoh, noticing that he was still deep in thought. He cleared his throat, watching the Pharaoh's blue eyes dart to look at him. "They mentioned something about a rift."

"The Rift." The Pharaoh corrected him offhandedly, standing up straight to stare into the fire in the fireplace. "It's a break in space-time that grows and shrinks, like a fault line. This house is built on top of it, which would explain the rumors of haunting." Yugi stared at him, the Pharaoh rolling his eyes. "Things can slip in and out of the Rift from different points in time and space. If people can't understand it, it's supernatural."

"Ah-ha! So you admit these things aren't ghosts!"

The Pharaoh looked over at Dickens before sighing and rubbing the bridge of his nose. "They are not ghosts. They're creatures from another world."

"That's almost as preposterous as the ghosts!"

"Believe what you like." The Pharaoh snapped the words at him, turning around to face the man and the maid, leaning back on the back of Yugi's chair. "These creatures seem to need gas to survive."

Yugi's eyes widened as he turned around in his chair. "Which is why they are using the gas pipes and the human bodies! We release gases when we decompose."

"Exactly." There was a nod from the Pharaoh, Yugi catching a glimpse of pride before it was smothered again, the Pharaoh concentrating back on the matter at hand. His fingers drummed against the back of the chair before he shrugged and stood up. "We need to find a way to talk to them for a longer amount of time. Even though they seem to thrive on gas, they're too weak to survive on the mixture of gases on Earth at the moment."

Yugi shrugged, feeling useless. He stared at the tea, taking a sip and watching the other people in the room. The owner of the house looked very relieved, probably because he wouldn't have to deal with the walking corpses any longer. His maid also looked as relieved, but also a bit scared. Yugi stared at her for a moment, tipping his head to one side. Why would she be scared if this could get rid of the problems that they were having? It would probably take some of the stress off of her if these aliens stopped using the dead bodies to try and talking to them. Yugi blinked and looked over at Charles Dickens who was looking increasingly nervous. He was about to ask the Pharaoh about Dickens, his only experience with the author coming from the books that he had read in high school, when Dickens nearly fell into the nearest chair.

"So this means it was all for nothing? All that fighting against the injustices of the real world, or what I thought was the real world. Now it's full of specters and ghouls, the things I once thought illusion." Dickens sighed, leaning his head into his hands. Yugi felt sorry for him, shifting in his seat but afraid to get up. No one else seemed to know what to do about Dickens, all the humans looking at him in surprise.

The Pharaoh finally shifted, staring at the author with a shrug. "Everyone has more to learn. Your world is just now a little wider."

Dickens gave a miserable nod, placing his hands over his face. The maid took the moment to begin to clear up the tea things, Yugi standing up to help her. He wanted to talk to her and try to figure out what more was going on. He looked back at the Pharaoh who gave a slight nod. Yugi had to smother a smile, helping gather the cups onto the tray and following the woman out of the sitting room with a smile. They were finally developing some pattern of working together, unlike their other two adventures when they had spent the entire time sniping at each other. But maybe that had changed when the Pharaoh had finally told Yugi what had happened to his planet, because now Yugi understood. Or he thought he did. He hoped that he did.

The two of them entered a small room with a pump that fed into a basin, a basic sink. The woman pumped some water into the sink, carefully lowering the pieces of china into the water one at a time to wash them. Yugi reached for a towel, beginning to dry the pieces on his own, earning a surprised look from the woman. "Sir, y-you have no need to-"

"But I want to." He gave a kind smile to her. "And it's not sir, it's Yugi."

"Oh, alright." She stared down at the sink before hazarding a question. "If it's not too forward of me, I have never seen someone like you."

"I'm from…" Yugi struggled to remember history lessons, trying to find the right word. "The Orient? Japan, specifically. Are you from around here?"

The woman smiled. "Yes, born and bred in Cardiff, I've never been anywhere else in my life. I lived out in the streets for a while before Mr. Sneed adopted me and I've worked for him the rest of my life, he's very good to me. He even let me begin an education."

"Really?"

The woman nodded. "I wasn't too interested in it. It got boring at times, I actually spent most of my time trying to get out of it, but I did go regular, so as not to waste Mr. Sneed's money. But I'm very happy with what I have now." She paused for a moment, staring at the piece of china in her hand. "Well, almost everything."

Yugi set the piece he was drying aside carefully, watching Gwyneth carefully as she looked over at him, seeming to think something over. She glanced up at him before leaning back against the bank of shelves that lined the wall behind her. "I have the Sight…the ability to see things about people. I've had it since I was a little girl. My mother said that my family has had this power for generations."

"That sounds really interesting." Yugi leaned a bit forward with a gentle smile, Gwyneth responding with her own smile, her eyes going unfocused a moment later. Yugi shifted nervously, not sure what to make of the change. He carelessly flung the towel over his shoulder and took a step forward, reaching out to touch the maid when she started back into motion, opening staring at him.

"Interesting? What's so interesting about me when compared to you? You're from the Orient. I've seen drawings of the cities there but never like that. All those people rushing about… half-naked, for shame. And the noise. And the metal boxes racing past. And the birds in the sky-no, they're metal as well. Metal birds with people in them. People are flying. And you... you've flown so far, further than anyone. The things you've seen. The darkness... the darkest game of them all." Gwyneth stumbled away, bumping into the shelves behind her, shaking her head. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I can't control what I see."

"But you could." They both turned around at the sound of another voice, Yugi trying to control his breathing as the Pharaoh walked into the small room. "If you concentrated, you could probably talk with the Gelth."

"I don't know." Gwyneth shook her head, looking scared. "I've never been able to control it and I…I…"

"You can do it." The Pharaoh nodded at Yugi before walking back to the main hall. "We'll have a séance."

He left them, Gwyneth slumping for a moment before going back to her washing, Yugi automatically helping her as well. They completed their task in silence, Gwyneth too focused on what was coming next and Yugi was too disturbed by her words. He was scared that she had been able to pick that out of his mind, unable to comprehend how a person could do that. He was more than ready for the idea that people from the future could do that, but not that a person from the past could.

And that last sentence, it sent chills down his spine. Like it was supposed to be some sort of warning to him. But her voice during that had dropped so low, and she had seemed so scared. What was going to happen to him?

Yugi was lost in the circle of his thoughts as they walked out of the small room and down the hall, heading back into the sitting room. He found the Pharaoh and Mr. Sneed sitting around a circular table. A glance at one of the corners of the room showed that Charles Dickens was pacing again, the writer apparently reluctant to join them. Yugi shrugged to himself and went to sit at the table, drifting over to the Pharaoh. He was almost sure that he got a smile, peeking out of his increasingly depressing thoughts for a moment only to have missed it. He sighed and took the offered hand, a smile twitching at the corner at his mouth at the soft feeling of the Earth turning beneath his seat. It was only for a moment, because then Gwyneth sat down and the maid didn't start, which meant that the Pharaoh had put forth the effort for Yugi to feel that gentle spin.

He looked over his shoulder at Dickens, the author slowly making his way to the door. The man was stopped by a sharp glare from the Pharaoh, Dickens glaring at the one empty seat at the table. He shook his head, backing away until he was close to the door. "No. I will not take place in this nonsense."

"The only nonsense, Charles," the Pharaoh nearly growled the words out, "is your continued denial. You were there, you saw what happened, now sit down and we'll get to the bottom of this."

Dickens stared at him for a while longer before submitting and coming to sit at the table, muttering under his breath. Yugi stared at him for a long time before offering his free hand, which Dickens snatched with a grumble. The Pharaoh leveled another glare at him before softening the look and turning back to Gwyneth, the maid taking a deep breath before looking up at the ceiling. "Speak to us. Please, speak to us, we are listening."

* * *

At that moment the lights went out, darkness closing in around them before a faint blue glow came from Gwyneth. The glow began to rise from the woman herself, forming around her back until it gained the shape of what looked like a teenage girl. The girl grew, rising above Gwyneth and looking over them. The Pharaoh stared at the form, swallowing nervously when the form flickered, hoping that his plan worked. He couldn't help the Gelth if they couldn't tell him what he had to do. There was too much of a chance that he would do something to make it worse. And it would take longer than they had to recreate an environment that they could live in so he could just talk to them. He relaxed when the form stabilized, staring at the blue gaseous girl that looked down on them.

"Pity us. Pity the Gelth. There is so little time. Help us."

The Pharaoh's hearts started to beat faster. This would work, they would hold long enough through Gwyneth. He glanced around the table before deciding that he would be the one to speak. "What do you need?"

"The Rift. Take the girl to the Rift. Make the bridge."

He blinked at the girl, trying to calculate how that would work. Something in the back of his head told him to be cautious. The Pharaoh gave a short nod, leaning forward slightly. "Why?"

"We are so very few. The last of our kind. We face extinction." His eyes widened, the girl taking his silence as permission to go on. "Once we had a physical form like you. But then the War came."

The Pharaoh had to lick his lips, suddenly finding them dry, like his throat. They couldn't be talking about that. It just wasn't possible. There couldn't be another species…not another one that was his fault. He felt Yugi squeeze his hand, that touch enough to encourage him to continue speaking. "What war?"

"The Time War." The Pharaoh gave a choked gasp at the name, a shudder running through him. "The whole universe convulsed. The Time War raged, invisible to smaller species but devastating to higher forms. Our bodies wasted away. We're trapped in this gaseous state."

So, it was his fault. They were stuck like this because of _him_. How long would it take for him to run away from reminders of that one war? His gaze sunk to the table, unable to look at the Gelth anymore. Now he _had_ to do something to help them, since it was his fault that they were like this. The Pharaoh sighed, shaking his head. "So that's why you need the corpses."

"We want to stand tall, to feel the sunlight, to live again. We need a physical form and your dead are abandoned. They go to waste. Give them to us."

He felt Yugi tense beside him, going to stop any response from the human when Yugi spoke out anyway. "We can't!"

"Why not? Is it disrespectful?" Yugi stared at him, the Pharaoh barely able to see the human in the darkness. "There's nothing left there anyway! And you're not using them!"

"Open the rift. Let the Gelth through. We're dying. Help us… Pity the Gelth!" The Pharaoh jerked his head around, staring at the gaseous form at it flickered and disappeared, the lights coming on moments later. He stared at the spot where the Gelth had been quickly standing up when he saw that Gwyneth had fainted. Yugi beat him to the maid first, catching her and sitting her back up in the chair before shooting a glare at him. The Pharaoh didn't bother to respond, staring at the mantle of the fireplace and thinking, partially aware that Yugi was moving Gwyneth over to the settee on the other side of the room.

The Gelth were victims of the Time War, almost exterminated because of the destruction of Gallifrey. And he felt that he had to fix this, like he had tried to fix all the other species, but so far he had only gotten hatred and death threats. This time it looked like he could actually helpful instead of being forced to one side. No one wanted a Time Lord to help, especially after what the Time Lords had done. Thankfully, he was slowly becoming myth. He could actually work for the universe instead of watching what was going on helplessly. And he wouldn't let this chance get away from him.

"You're not going to use her." He turned around to look at the human he had brought with him, Yugi kneeling on the floor beside where Gwyneth was lying on the couch. "You're not going to talk her into doing this. It's not right."

"What part of it is not right? The use of dead bodies or the extinction of a species?" Yugi hesitated, the Pharaoh smirking. He had Yugi there, and he knew exactly what Yugi would try to do. He leaned against the wall, staring at Yugi. "Is it because they are the respected dead? They're just bodies, Yugi, nothing important about them."

"It's not respectful!"

"Says you!" The Pharaoh glared at him. "Says your culture. There are other cultures out there and you have to accept what they think. You cannot continue to be so closed minded around me."

Yugi stared at him, his mouth hanging open in shock before he purposefully turned around to look at Gwyneth, who was just waking up. The Pharaoh was surprised at how easily Yugi hid his anger, calming the girl with a gentle smile and pushing her back down, stepping away when she seemed nervous. The maid looked up and him, clearing her throat before speaking. "Those poor creatures…what do they need?"

"A way to get into this world."

"No!" Yugi glared at him. "I told you that you will not use her like this!"

"But I want to help them." Yugi stared at Gwyneth, the maid smiling back up at him. "They've been nice to me for so long, singing in my head when I was lonely here. I want to help them. Tell me what I need to do."

The Pharaoh nodded, ignoring the glare that Yugi sent his way. The human would have to deal with the choice that Gwyneth made, after all, he had said that it had to be her own. She had made her choice and Yugi would have to abide by it, unless all his posturing was just that. The Pharaoh watched Yugi carefully, ready to physically stop the human from interfering in what was going on. They were going to save the Gelth, with or without Yugi's help.

Satisfied that Yugi wouldn't do anything stupid, the Pharaoh turned to look at Mr. Sneed. "Where's the place that has had most of the 'ghost' sightings?"

Dickens looked up from his corner, looking shocked. Of course the writer wouldn't want anything to do with this, he was too afraid to move out of his comfort zone, but he would follow. Some part of Charles Dickens wanted to see what this new world offered to him while the rest rebelled. The man thought that he had seen everything that the world had to offer in his life, but was wrong.

"Most…That would be the morgue."

The Pharaoh nodded, ignoring Yugi's mutterings. He began to usher the people out of the room, nearly hauling Yugi from the place where he had planted himself. The human didn't struggle as he was pulled down the hall, the two of them following Mr. Sneed as he led the way to the basement of the house. In fact, Yugi didn't say anything at all, strange for the human. The Pharaoh shot a glance at Yugi, surprised to see that the human was still angry, too used to the times that Yugi had let his anger go after a while. But that might have been because he was overwhelmed. Now, he had settled into the swing of things and was going to be stubborn. That was fine with him, he could deal with one stubborn human.

Yugi shook his hand from his arm, walking down the stairs to the basement, the Pharaoh staring after him. Hopefully they would manage to get over this once the Gelth were dealt with. He forced himself not to glare at the back of Yugi's head, instead focusing on the covered bodies that rested on slabs in the basement, feeling a shiver pass through him.

His attention was attracted by a wraithlike form that appeared, taking a step forward through the crowd to look at the Gelth. She smiled, giving him a shy wave. "He has come, praise him. He has come to save us."

"What do we need to do?"

"She must stand under the arch." The Gelth disappeared, one of the gas lamps flaring as she was sucked back in. The Pharaoh nodded, looking at Gwyneth and then frowning when he saw Yugi move from the group.

"You don't have to do this."

"But I want to." Yugi's hand fell from her shoulder, the human staring at her for the longest time before nodding and taking a step back. The Pharaoh forced himself not to move, letting Gwyneth do this on her own. At least Yugi was smart enough to know when to back off.

There was a moment of silence, Gwyneth looking increasingly nervous before she suddenly tipped her head back, the Gelth appearing above her in a blue gaseous form. The Pharaoh smiled, inwardly cheering. Gwyneth had opened the Rift! She was strong enough to do it, the brilliant human.

"We're free!" The Pharaoh blinked as the blue glow of the Gelth changed to red, the peaceful wraith turning into something more aggressive. He took a step back, Yugi turning and running into his side as more of the Gelth came through. There were more that the Pharaoh had guessed. He scowled before staring at the Gelth that was hovering above Gwyneth.

"You said you were nearly going extinct!"

"We played upon your compassion. We do not care for your pity. We want your world!" The Pharaoh jumped to one side as one of the corpses jerked back the sheet that covered it, standing sluggishly on his feet. The Pharaoh grabbed Yugi, pushing the human back toward the back of the basement, keeping a tight grip on him as he tried to lunge for Mr. Sneed.

The undertaker was grabbed by one of the corpses, his neck snapped before his body was left to fall. Yugi gasped, clinging to the Pharaoh was they were forced further back. The Time Lord tried to come up with a plan to get them out of there, being distracted by Charles Dickens as he called from the stairs. "I'm sorry, I can't do this!"

He disappeared up the stairs, safe from the walking corpses as the Pharaoh was forced further back. There was no chance of escape, they were blocked from the only way out by the corpses. The Pharaoh looked over his shoulder, seeing a metal gate and a space behind it. He lunged for it, yanking it open and shoving Yugi into the space before moving in himself, slamming the gate shut behind him and hearing it lock.

"So…now we're trapped." Yugi spoke slowly, flinching back against the cold stone as the corpses began to reach through the bars of the gate. The Pharaoh nodded, glaring at the corpses, his gaze moving to the flickering red form that hovered over Gwyneth.

"I trusted you."

"We told you we cared little for your pity or your trust." He moved away from a hand that lashed out at him, his gaze focusing back down on the corpses, staring at Mr. Sneed. He hadn't even been able to save the undertaker because he had been too busy with his survivor's guilt about the Time War. He should have listened to Yugi. "Give your bodies over to the Gelth."

The Pharaoh shook his head, not sure if he was answering the demand or unable to deal with what happened. He backed up until he was pressed against the stone as well, staring at the bodies that were reaching for him.

"It's a bit like a zombie movie." Yugi spoke up softly, rubbing his arms as he looked out on the corpses. The young man shuddered before looking up at the Pharaoh, his violet eyes wide. "Can…can I die?"

"What?" The question threw him.

"It should be impossible, right, because I wasn't born until 1986. I can't die now because I don't exist."

He really wanted to lie to Yugi, wanted to say that it was just impossible. Because this was all his fault. This human, this young man was only nineteen; a mere child in the whole scheme of things. Yugi had yet to see the world or accomplish his dreams, and he would never do that because some idiot Time Lord had gotten him trapped in a basement in 1869.

The Pharaoh hung his head, talking to the ground instead of Yugi. "You can be born in the future and die now, because of me."

He waited for the condemnation or the hatred. Even for an 'I told you so'. He deserved all of them. But what Yugi did surprised him.

The young man took a deep breath, straightening himself up, staring at the corpses as they stared back at him. "We'll go down fighting, right?"

The Pharaoh stared at him for a short while before giving a short nod, his voice cracking over the one word that he forced out of his mouth. "Right."

"Together." It wasn't a question. Yugi turned to look at him, the Pharaoh feeling horrible for the tears that were beginning to appear in the young man's eyes. They shouldn't be there. Yugi shouldn't have even had to show this courage, but he was. And that made this little human better than all the others.

"Together." The Pharaoh paused, really looking at Yugi for the first time, seeing past he short stature and the crazy hair. Beneath all of that, there was something strong, something that never got out because Yugi had always been stepped on. A smile crossed his face, the Pharaoh pulling the young man close and holding his hand. Yugi jumped and looked up at him, looking shocked at the sudden move for contact. "I'm glad I met you."

Yugi stared at him for a long time, probably trying to decide if it was just another attempt to beat him down. Finally, he smiled back. "Me too."

The turned to look back at the corpses, the Pharaoh feeling Yugi shrink back against the wall.

__

* * *

_Please read and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome._


	11. The Servant Girl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter Ten: The Servant Girl**

**Chapter Ten: The Servant Girl**

"_Not a bad life."__  
"__Better with two."_

_-The Doctor and Rose Tyler_

Charles Dickens ran from the house, slamming the door shut behind him and panting for air. He stared at the door, the thing that cut him off from all those people and their insane ideas and the real world. But something still nagged at him. Maybe that man who called himself Pharaoh was right. Maybe his world was expanding. He was feeling creative for the first time in months, perhaps years.

Dickens jumped away from the door as something began pushing through the door knocker. He stumbled backwards, running for the street as the Gelth came after him. He made an awkward jump from the curb of the sidewalk to the street, stumbling halfway across the cobbled street before turning his head to look at the creature that was chasing him.

The Gelth moved after him, giving a wail as it hit the sidewalk, its form becoming unstable and shimmering. "Hostile environment!"

It disappeared back into the gas lamp that lit the street, leaving Dickens to stare at it. Cautiously, he moved forward, blinking as his mind worked over what he had just seen. "Of course, the gas!"

He rushed back into the house, flinging the door open before running to the first lamp. His fingers found the switch on the elegant design, turning it until the flame dimmed. Dickens heard the hiss of escaped gas, allowing himself a brief moment to smile before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a handkerchief to cover his nose and mouth. He gave a soft cough before moving to the next lamp, forcing himself to hurry.

This could be the only chance he had to save the Pharaoh and the rest of the people in this house.

* * *

The Pharaoh stared at the bodies that were pressing themselves up against the grate, still reaching for them. Yugi had pressed himself back as far as he could get, still staring out at the corpses. There was no way out that he could see. They would be starved out here, the Gelth taking over the rest of the world while he cowered here. Or, even worse, they would force the gate open.

He hoped that it never came to that. At this point, he would be willing to give up his life for Yugi to pay for his blunder, but it wouldn't help in the end. His corpse would just be used against the young man, and Yugi couldn't get to safety in the TARDIS. No good plans would come to mind, his whole mind focused on the human that stood next to him for some reason, a reason that kept escaping him.

Yugi moved at his side, the Pharaoh jerked out his thoughts, looking up. Charles Dickens was in the basement, removing a white handkerchief from his mouth to rasp out a few words as he fiddled with the single lamp that lit up the room. "Turn down the flame and turn up the gas."

Of course! The Pharaoh nodded, staring at the corpses. The Gelth inhabited the human bodies because of the gases in the decayed bodies. If the gas content of the room was higher than the Gelth would be forced out into the room, removing the threat. Dickens smiled back at him, the expression disappearing as he noticed that the corpses had started to move towards him. "I hope that this works…soon."

One of the corpses moved forward, reaching for Dickens before it gave a tremble, its head tipping back before a blue gas was released from its mouth. The other corpses soon suffered the same fate, the bodies dropping to the floor.

The Pharaoh smiled and opened the door, ushering Yugi out. The young man wobbled as he walked, shaking his head. The Pharaoh looked at him before pushing him towards the stairs. Yugi shook his head, the motion making him fall forward. The Pharaoh caught him before pushing him towards the stairs again, only to have Yugi hang onto his arm. "No. We have to…"

"I'll get her out of here. Go." Yugi listened to this shove, stumbling after Dickens up the stairs. The Pharaoh took another breath of the gas filled air before shaking his own head. He would be able to survive down here easily for another ten minutes.

He walked over to Gwyneth staring at the Gelth still swirling around the ceiling. "Send them back."

"I'm helping my angels."

"They're not angels."

"They're not." Her head moved so she was staring at him, the blank look in her eyes slightly disconcerting. She looked around the room before giving a minute shake of her head. "I can't send them back, but I can stop them."

The Pharaoh swallowed before taking a step forward, acting on his suspicions. He rested his fingers against her pulse point, closing his eyes and sighing when there was no pulse there. He took a step back, looking up at her before nodding, their eyes meeting for a brief second in understanding. He saw her take a matchbox from her pocket taking giving her a nod, a farewell. He took a deep breath, activating his respiratory bypass system, now he would not have to breath for about 10 minutes, lessening the damage done to his body in the gas filled air. He jogged up the stairs, beginning a full out sprint as soon as he hit the halls, mentally counting down the amount of time he had before he had to take another breath.

The countdown was interrupted as the Pharaoh felt the rush of heat behind him, pushing off of the porch of the house as the fireball erupted, rolling in the snow until he came to a stop, cautiously getting to his feet and stumbling over to where Yugi and Charles Dickens waited.

Yugi looked at him and then at the burning house, his mouth open in shock. He glanced at the Pharaoh, shaking his head. "She…"

"She was dead." Yugi blinked at him, shaking his head with more emphasis. The Pharaoh sighed and brushed the snow off of him, staring at the burning house. "She had been dead for five minutes, probably since she stood under that arch. They killed her coming through."

"But she saved the world." Yugi slumped, running a hand through his hair. "She saved the world and no one will ever know."

The Pharaoh nodded, staring at the fire before turning around and walking off. He had seen too many things burning in his life. The fire would be noticed quickly and put out before anything else was burned down. He could hear the crunch of the snow as Yugi followed after him, peeking over his shoulder to see the young man walking in a slouch. There was a pause before Dickens followed them as well, the three silent as the Pharaoh led the way back to the TARDIS.

He stopped to lean against the box, looking at Dickens. The writer stared at the snow for a moment before looking up at the two of them. "I'd…" He hesitated for a moment more before attempting to speak again. "I'd like to thank the two of you for showing me this new life. I feel…I feel so much better than before. I feel like I have a new lease on life, I have so much more to discover."

"Do you?"

Dickens nodded. "I intend to go back to my family and spend some time with them. Then I plan on writing the ending to _The Mystery of Edwin Drood_…it's still missing one." He played with the end of his beard, looking up at the two of them before smiling. "What if Edwin's uncle wasn't the murderer, but a blue elemental was the killer instead? And a brave maid?"

The Pharaoh gave a nod of his head, watching as Dickens gave a laugh before gently nudging Yugi towards the TARDIS, stopping as Dickens spoke again. "Will my books last?"

"Forever." The Pharaoh moved towards the blue box, Yugi nodding before stepping aside for him to unlock the TARDIS. Dickens gave them both a strange look, glancing at the TARDIS before looking back at them.

"You intend to go in there."

"Yes." The Pharaoh stepped inside, Yugi following after him. He could hear the young man shuffle up the ramp and sit in the chair. He began to prepare the TARDIS for flight, scowling as he realized that there were some things that he could stand to fix. It wasn't much. He glanced up at Yugi, noticing that the teenager smothered a yawn.

Yugi shook his head, glancing at the view screen as they began to dematerialize, covering another yawn. "Does he write it, because I never heard of that book?"

The Pharaoh glanced at the screen, getting a last glimpse of Charles Dickens before the screen went blank, steering the TARDIS into the time vortex before answering. "No. He dies next year."

"Oh." He watched Yugi slump out of the corner of his eye.

"But he's more alive now than he has been for a while." He cautiously offered the sentence with a shrug, turning back to the controls and making a mental list of the things that he would have to touch up. The Pharaoh smiled at the next yawn that Yugi gave, pushing away from the console and trusting that the TARDIS could handle herself. "The next question is, do you intend on staying?"

Yugi gave a sleepy nod before looking down at his clothes. "I might need to stop off at home to grab some stuff, but yeah."

"Well, if you are intending to stay, I'd better get you settled in." When Yugi shot him a surprised look, the Pharaoh merely shrugged. "I can't have you sleeping on the floor. The TARDIS wouldn't like it."

"I should thank her for that then."

The ship gave a soft rumble, the sound turning into a coo as Yugi stood up and went to the nearest column, giving it a pet. The Pharaoh rolled his eyes and moved from the console, walking to the doorway that led to the rest of the TARDIS, Yugi a second behind him. He moved out into the corridor, staring at the doors that lined either side. A few were open, meaning that the TARDIS intended to keep those rooms by the console room for a while. Of course, the TARDIS would never let Yugi get lost. It liked this little human.

He shrugged and gestured at the corridor. "Open one of the closed doors. Find a room."

Yugi hesitated before moving down the corridor, looking from side to side until he paused suddenly, staring at one door. He looked back at the Pharaoh, looking completely shocked while pointing at the door. "How?"

The Pharaoh walked over to Yugi, staring at the plain white door that seemed out of place with the darker wood doors that made up the rest of the corridor. He shrugged before answering Yugi's question. "She's trying to please you. She probably dipped into your memory of rooms and placed everything that you loved into that."

He waited for the explosion, but was surprised when Yugi didn't say anything, just opening the door and stepping into the room. The Pharaoh followed after, taking in the blue walls and blue bedspread on the bed that was shoved in one corner, a desk close by. He turned, finding the expected bathroom door.

The Pharaoh shrugged and turned to stare at the center of the room, his eyes widening as he found Yugi standing under the large skylight that took up much to the ceiling. The human had his head craned back, staring at the stars that were displayed above the fake window, a smile on his face. He took a step back, walking over to the bed and falling backwards onto it, reaching out one hand to touch the wall. "Thanks girl."

He got a coo from the TARDIS, the human kicking off his shoes and rolling the covers around him, turning his head to look at the skylight, his eyes drooping. The Pharaoh chuckled and backed up until he was leaning against the doorframe, amused by the young man. Yugi looked over at him once before shifting so his head was resting on the pillows.

The Pharaoh took this chance to leave, partially shutting the door behind him and walking back to the console, digging his sonic screwdriver out of the pocket of his coat before throwing the coat over the back of the chair. He double checked that the TARDIS was moving happily through the time vortex, not really moving towards any particular time before glaring at the central column of the console. "No shocking me."

Sparks leapt from the other side of the console in unison with a sound like a groan from the TARDIS, both which drew a smile from the Pharaoh. He circled the console until he got to the first part that needed fixing, staring at the wires that crisscrossed over each other and ran all over the console, suddenly hoping that Yugi would sleep for a long while.

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* * *

_Please read and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome._


	12. Aliens of Domino

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter Eleven: Aliens of Domino**

**Chapter Eleven: Aliens of Domino**

"_I can't tell her, I can't even begin. She's never gonna forgive me. And I missed a year. Was it good?"__  
"__Middling."__  
"__You're so useless."_

_-Rose Tyler and the Doctor_

Yugi woke up slowly, staring at the room around him without really seeing any of it. He yawned and sat up, surprised that his alarm clock wasn't going off, he had woken up before it for once. But still, did that all have to be a dream? The Nestene Consciousness, the end of the world and the ghosts? It was a wonderful dream, why did he have to wake up from it?

He rolled out of bed, stretching. Yugi paused mid stretch, staring at the skylight that was in the ceiling. His room didn't have that, nor did his ceiling slope like that. This room looked like the pictures of the room that he had lived in while at his grandfather's house, too young to remember anything else other than the pictures. Yugi walked over to the spot under the skylight, staring up at the stars that were visible through it.

This meant that everything was true, not just some crazy dream. He gave an excited squeak at that, partially embarrassed by the sound that came from his own mouth before slipping his sneakers on and opening the door. He blinked at the corridor that was in front of him, swallowing when he realized that he had no idea where to go. His attention was attracted by a series of lights, much like those that ran along the aisle in theaters, that appeared in the corridor, leading one way but not the other. Yugi smiled and reached out to stroke the nearest wall in thanks before beginning to walk the direction that the lights had shown, breathing a sigh of relief when he walked into the console room.

"So, you're up." The Pharaoh was leaning against a column, staring at the console and, apparently, deep in thought. Yugi nodded and walked over, leaning against the console. The two stared at each other for a while before the Pharaoh moved, avoiding where Yugi was to start to move around the console. "Back home then."

"Yeah." Yugi didn't know why he was suddenly so reluctant to go back. He knew that he would have to grab some more clothes than this, and perhaps tell his mother that he would be traveling for an extended time. It wasn't like he was choosing to leave, it was just another pit stop before they were off again.

Automatically, Yugi grabbed the edge of the console, easily falling into the rocking motion of the TARDIS as the Pharaoh steered her into place. He pushed away from the console as the Pharaoh moved his way, falling easily back into the chair, watching at the Pharaoh continued to move around the console, often having to stretch over one section or another. Finally, there was the expected jolt from the ship as she landed, the Pharaoh standing up and walking to the door.

He opened the door, Yugi slipping out from under his arm and taking a deep breath of the air. As much as he loved the traveling, he had missed this, missed the smell of his home. He turned his head to look at where they had landed, easily picking out where his apartment building was.

"It should be about twelve hours since you've left." Yugi glanced over at the Pharaoh, watching the Time Lord smirk. "No time lost at all.

He nodded, his hand dropped to his pocket, fingering his key for a moment before beginning to walk off, turning around to address the Pharaoh. "I'll be back in a bit."

"What are you going to tell your mother?" Yugi smirked at the teasing smile that the Pharaoh had, watching the man walk forward to lean against a pole that was nearly covered in posters.

Yugi shrugged. "I'll just tell her that I stayed over at a friend's house. I don't think she would accept the truth."

The two shared a smile before Yugi turned around, walking quickly towards the stairs of his apartment building. He opened the door and began climbing, pausing to look out one of the windows, watching as the Pharaoh pushed away from the pole that he had been leaning on, gazing at the posters attached to the pole. Yugi shook his head, reminding himself that this would just be a quick visit before rushing up the stairs, missing the look of shock that crossed the Pharaoh's face before the Time Lord took off after him.

Yugi nearly ran down the shared balcony in the front of all the apartments, the keys in his hands as he reached his home. He fumbled briefly with his key before opening the door, sighing as he walked home. He paused for a minute, swinging the door shut before clearing his throat. Usually his mom would be calling out a greeting to him. Yugi shrugged before calling out himself. "I'm home!"

He walked towards the living room, hearing the sound of life in there. He slipped his keys back into his pocket, looking at the floor sheepishly. "Sorry, I lost track of time so I-" He looked up, surprised when he saw the state of his mother.

Junri Mutou looked like she had been through hell. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail, dark circles under her eyes and tear tracks running down her cheeks. Yugi swallowed nervously at the look that she leveled at him, one of amazement and wonder. He looked around the room, jumping when Junri gave a sob and lunged forward to cling to him, drawing him close to her chest.

Yugi struggled for a moment, pulling back enough for him to breath, holding onto his mother's shoulders while he tried to figure out what had happened to reduce her to this. "Mom, what happened? Did…did someone die?"

"Yugi!" He turned around abruptly, still holding onto his mother's shoulders. The Pharaoh had rushed into the apartment since Yugi hadn't locked the door behind him. Yugi glanced back at his mother, surprised by the look of shock on her face. He glanced back at the Pharaoh, wondering what had sent the Time Lord running up here so quickly. There wasn't an alien in sight.

The Pharaoh cleared his throat, backing away. "It's not twelve hours. It's twelve months."

Twelve months! Yugi barely felt his mother slip away from his grasp, rushing into the kitchen and picking up the phone. He was frozen to the spot, staring at the Pharaoh with his mouth open in shock.

He had been missing twelve months just because of a slip up of one alien. His mother had been looking for him, worrying about him, for twelve months because he had decided that going on an adventure sounded like a good idea. What had happened to her in those months? Apparently she had gotten a job because the apartment was still theirs, but what had she gone through emotionally?

Yugi forced himself to begin walking, his eyes going to the table that sat near the bookshelf with the pictures, glancing over to realize that one of his own pictures was sitting beside his grandfather's, one more among the missing. He shuddered and looked away, focused on the table and the papers spread out over it. He picked up one of them, his eyes widening as he saw a picture of himself and information.

Yugi nearly threw the flyer down, moving to stand in the living room and staring at all the pictures of him that had suddenly cropped up. He turned in a slow circle, pausing when he saw that the Pharaoh had followed him in. Yugi glared at the man, readying to start yelling when he caught the look on the Pharaoh's face, one of sorrow.

He stepped out of the way, allowing the Time Lord to walk further into the living room, the man stopping before one of the few pictures that had Sugoroku in it. The Pharaoh stared at it for a long time before moving down the line that was displayed on the mantle, looking like he was longing for something.

Yugi backed up until he sat down in his favorite chair, watching him carefully, the carefully constructed comebacks breaking apart. The Pharaoh wouldn't purposefully bring him home twelve months late, it was just a slip up. A horrible slip up, but a slip up just the same. And Yugi's anger just disappeared quickly, realizing that the Pharaoh was the only other person who would understand what he had been through, the only other person he could talk to about these things.

And, as much as some part of Yugi hated the Pharaoh for doing this, even accidentally, he craved to be out in the universe again. Suddenly, the world was too small. He wanted to see _everything._

Yugi looked up as his mother wandered back in, wiping away a new set of tears. She knelt by him and smiled, her hand resting over his. "The police should be over in a few minutes. Would you like some tea?"

"No, Mom, I'm fine." Yugi smiled at her, wondering what she meant about the police. He wasn't expecting her to throw herself at him, holding him close and breaking into tears again.

"Oh my boy, my baby! You're home and safe!" Junri took a shaky breath. "I thought that I would never see you again! I hated answering the phone because I was sure that it was going to be the police, telling me that they found your body somewhere. Where did you go?"

Yugi swallowed nervously. His mother would never believe the truth and his cover story wouldn't work now since he had been gone longer than twelve hours. He looked up at the Pharaoh, who had seemed to have snapped back to reality, the Time Lord's face already slipping into his usual mask. The Pharaoh caught his gaze and gave a shrug, the decision to tell her or not resting on Yugi again.

Junri sat up at the motion, looking between Yugi and the Pharaoh, Yugi freezing up at the look that came over her face. She was probably thinking that the Pharaoh was intimidating Yugi to keep him from telling anything, which wouldn't go over well when the officer got here. Yugi wiggled a bit in her hold, drawing her attention back to him. For a moment, he was almost tempted to tell the truth but that was gone as he remembered what the truth would entail. Yugi settled for a shrug. "I can't tell you."

His mother scowled, opening her mouth to say something when there was a knock at the door, Junri hurrying off to answer it while the Pharaoh moved to stand behind Yugi. He looked up at the Time Lord, begging the man to have anything that would help him. The Pharaoh just shrugged again, glancing up at the doorway before leaning slightly over. "I'll follow your lead."

"Seriously?" Yugi raised an eyebrow, not expecting such generosity from the Pharaoh. The Time Lord gave an earnest nod before standing up straight, looking for all the world that he was just standing there, uninterested in Yugi.

Yugi looked up, smiling as the police officer walked into the living room, Junri offering him a seat, preferring to pace the small space. Yugi smiled at the police officer, trying not to shift nervously in his seat as the man looked at him.

"So, you came back?" Yugi was about to nod when the officer continued. "Do you know how much pain you caused your mother with you disappearance? Did you think that running away would solve any problems between the two of you?"

"What? No!" Yugi forced himself to calm down, taking a deep breath. Lashing out wouldn't get him anywhere with this. "I called her once and I meant to call her again, but I just was busy and…distracted."

Even he nearly winced at his own choice of words, knowing how bad that they would sound. The police officer looked at him for a while before looking over at his mother coughing before looking down at his knees. "Your mother tells me that you refuse to tell her where you have been."

Yugi winced, but nodded, letting them make the assumptions that they would. It was just too fantastic to expect them to believe where he had been. He shook his head, trying to come up with an explanation, ending up just shrugging.

"Yugi," Junri knelt down by his side, glancing up at the Pharaoh before looking back down at her son, "why can't you tell me where you went?"

"I…I…"

"Actually, it's my fault that Yugi has been away so long." Yugi glanced up as the Pharaoh spoke, watching the almost formal air that he put on. Junri stood up, crossing her arms and staring at him. "I employed Yugi when I heard that he was out of work as my traveling companion. We are often out of cell phone service but I plan to rectify that."

Junri didn't seem convinced, but Yugi found that the story was the best simplified version of what was going on. He sighed and looked back at his mother, giving her a nod and preparing to back up the Pharaoh's story when the police officer spoke up. "When you say companion, is this a sexual relationship?"

Yugi choked on air, able to imagine the Pharaoh's disgusted face even though he hadn't turned around. He swallowed harshly to get his throat working again, both of them nearly yelling out one word at the same time. "No!"

Junri narrowed her eyes, standing up and walking over to stand toe to toe with the Pharaoh, the difference in their size almost laughable if Junri didn't look likes she was about to murder someone. "Then what do you want with my son? A man like you would have no problem getting any kind of _companion_ that he would want."

The Pharaoh gave a short bark of laughter. "I could, but I prefer some kind of intelligence in my company and your son is quite intelligent."

"Of course he is, but that's what anyone would say." Junri narrowed her eyes and glared at him, the Pharaoh actually taking a step back from her. "I would have believed you better if you hadn't appeared the day he disappeared with all your smiles and charm. And the next day, he's gone. Where did you find him? Internet or out on the streets? Did you just snatch him away without a second thought?"

Yugi winced at the exchange, trying to figure out where he could help the Pharaoh when his mother spoke up again, leaping on the chance that the Pharaoh gave her by being quiet. "Why him of all the people in this city? Because you thought that he was cute, you pervert? How did you convince him to come with you, sexual favors?"

He wanted to disappear into the spaces in the chair, a blush crossing his face as he sunk into his seat. Yugi glanced over at the policeman who looked shocked, Junri was doing his job for him. Yugi gave him an apologetic smile before looking back up and wishing that he hadn't.

The Pharaoh was glaring back at his mother, obviously angry at the accusations leveled at him. "What about you, Mrs. Mutou? _You_ tried to seduce me the first time I came here. I-"

He was cut off when Junri slapped him, Yugi's mouth dropping open with the move. The Pharaoh remained still, his head still turned to the side. Yugi swallowed, afraid to move. He had never seen his mother act like this. His eyes darted to the policeman, who had quickly stood up and was now making his excuses. Yugi stood up when the policeman left, walking over to his mother and pulling her away from the Pharaoh, sitting her down on the sofa.

Junri clung to her son, sobbing as she held him close. Yugi glanced over at the Pharaoh, relieved that the Time Lord had decided to stay after that and hating that he would have to patch things up with the alien. He decided that it could wait until later, wanting to get his mother settled for now.

"Mom, I'm alright. I promise that I am. It's nothing like that."

"How can I be sure? My poor, poor son, lost his virginity to some man who hires him off the street." Yugi winced, not wanting to tell his mother that his virginity had been gone for a long while. He managed to extract himself from her grasp, patting her shoulder.

"Mom, I swear that nothing like that happened. It's like he said, we've been traveling to places where the cell phone service is horrible. And I've been busy."

"With what?"

"I'm his assistant. I catalogue the things he collects and takes pictures of." Yugi gave a half shrug and a smile, hating the lie that he was forced to say. "That's all. He already has someone else, a nice girl back home."

Yugi thought he caught the Pharaoh rolling his eyes before the man jerked his head towards the ceiling and walked off. Yugi assumed that he meant that he would be waiting for Yugi on the roof. He gave a small nod before looking back at his mother, tenderly brushing some of her hair out of her eyes. "I promise that I'm alright and I promise to make more time to call you."

"Promise that you'll come back more often." Junri was nearly begging him. Yugi gave a nod and kissed his mother on the forehead before walking away, heading for the front door and towards the roof. Behind him, he heard his mother calming down, turning around in the open door to smile at her. She gave him a wave. "Dinner at five."

Yugi nodded. "I'll be down."

He shut the door behind him and took off at a jog for the stairs, running full out until he got to the roof. He easily spotted the Pharaoh, leaning against one of the housings for some equipment that they had up there. Yugi smiled and jogged over, easily pushing off from the ground and sitting on the top of the metal, smirking at the heady feeling of being taller than the Pharaoh. "So, how was the year that I missed?"

The Pharaoh gave a shrug, tipping his head back to think for a moment before returning his head to its normal position. "Disappointing."

Yugi shook his head before shrugging. "At least I didn't miss anything interesting…or so you tell me."

"No. Just another year in the scheme of things." The Pharaoh sighed, one hand twitching by his side, rising slightly before lowering back to his side. Yugi shot him a sidelong glance before a laugh escaped him, ignoring the scathing glare that was sent his way.

"All of that…and she just _slapped_ you." Yugi pressed one arm over his stomach as he laughed, rocking forward until he nearly fell off the metal casing he was sitting on.

The Pharaoh rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, focusing his glare on the roof. "In all nine hundred years of my life, I have never been slapped by someone's mother."

Yugi tried to smother his laugh, clinging to the sides of the container. "Your face was priceless."

"It hurt." The Pharaoh finally gave in a rubbed his cheek, giving a wince. Yugi laughed at the expression and shook his head, calming himself down. The two of them drifted into comfortable silence, Yugi staring up at the sky as he thought over their conversation. The Pharaoh's age kept circling around his brain until he had to speak.

"You're really nine hundred years old?"

"Give or take a few hundred." The Pharaoh shrugged. "I stopped counting centuries ago."

"Quite the age gap." Yugi smiled and jumped down from his perch, walking towards the edge of the roof and looking over Domino City. Up here he didn't feel as cramped as he did in his apartment, a feeling that was just beginning to take hold. Maybe it was a sign that he wasn't meant to live life in an apartment, a sign that he would happily take. He ran a hand through his hair, looking up at the sky before spreading his arms out and giving a shrug. "I don't think I could go back to this, not after all I've seen."

"I've taken you two places."

Yugi turned around to smile at him before turning back around to look at the sky again. "That was enough. I've seen the past, something that no one ever gets a chance to see. I've seen things long gone and forgotten. I've seen aliens and spaceships…things that other people on Earth have never seen…"

He tensed at a loud hum that came from behind him, turning around abruptly. The first thing that he saw was the grey underbelly of a spaceship before he ducked down low, turning his head to watch as the thing moved overhead. Yugi sat up when it had passed, slowly getting to his feet as he watched it fly over the city, coming dangerously close to hitting a few buildings before finally taking a corner off one of the older ones and crashing into the ocean.

Yugi stared open mouthed at the smoke that he saw coming from the harbor, shaking his head in amazement. He heard the Pharaoh come up behind him, grabbing onto his shoulder and tugging him backwards. Yugi flailed in the hold for a minute, pointing soundlessly at where the smoke was coming from before the Pharaoh forced him to spin around. "That's not fair."

"Come on!" The Pharaoh broke into a run, heading for the harbor. Yugi could only follow him, forcing himself into a sprint to keep up with the long-legged Time Lord.

The two of them tore across the back lot for the apartments and the neighborhood that was behind them, heading for the harbor. Long before they could even get out of the neighborhood traffic was blocked off, making it impossible for them to get through.

Yugi stumbled to a stop, leaning over and attempting to catch his breath, panting for air. The Pharaoh was standing beside him, not looking winded at all. He was craning his head, trying to look over the crowds of people. Yugi shook his head and straightened up, attempting and trying to catch his breath at the same time. "It's blocked off. They won't let us get any closer." He gave a cough before shaking his head. "Did you know that this was going to happen?"

"No."

"Recognize the ship?" The Pharaoh shook his head, still trying to see other the crowds. Yugi sighed and tried again. "Do you know the reason it crashed?"

"No. This should be interesting." Yugi was beginning to hate that enthusiastic and slightly insane smile that the Pharaoh had. "Besides, it's much more interesting to watch history happen without prior knowledge."

"So, are we going to get the TARDIS and take a closer look?"

The Pharaoh shook his head, moving to one side before returning to his original position. "No. We can't risk putting another spaceship in the middle of this. I don't want her getting captured and used. Besides, you would be out of a job."

"You're saying that we're stuck here?" The Pharaoh frowned, seeming to just realize this himself. He looked around at the crowds, probably calculating the distance form they were to the harbor. Yugi saw the Time Lord slump, sighing and crossing his arms over his chest. "We could do what everyone else does. We just watch it on the T.V."

He didn't miss the look of utter disgust that the Pharaoh shot him as they turned around to walk back to the apartment complex, laughing as the Pharaoh began to complain about the short comings of human technology. Yugi led the way back, pausing as they passed the TARDIS again, staring at the words spray painted on the side. He jumped as the Pharaoh walked past, totally ignoring him. Yugi hesitated for a moment, briefly glancing at the words before rushing on, dismissing them as nonsense.

Unless it was an advertisement for something, Yugi had never heard of any gang that called themselves dark game.

He jogged after the Pharaoh, glancing up at the Time Lord. The Pharaoh still looked angry but, surprisingly, was sticking to his own rule of not getting involved in this. Yugi shrugged to himself, looking up at the apartments that they were heading towards, groaning as he saw the people that were hovering around his. Apparently his mother had called people over to share the good news that he was back. Now that the spaceship had crashed into the harbor, there would be no getting rid of them.

If he hadn't been so curious about the spaceship, he would have begged the Pharaoh to take him away now. He wasn't in the mood for dealing with this.

They climbed up to his apartment, Yugi opening the door and giving a halfhearted wave to the people who had gathered in his living room. It was returned with astonished faces before the people lunged forward with a collective cry of, "Yugi!" Yugi saw the Pharaoh duck into his bedroom out of the corner of his eye, managing to shoot a pleading look before he was hugged en masse.

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* * *

_Please read and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome._


	13. First Contact

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter Twelve: First Contact**

**Chapter Twelve: First Contact**

"_So, it's a fake, pretend, like the mermaid. But the technology augmenting its brain… it's like nothing on Earth. It's alien. Aliens are faking aliens. Why would they do that?"_

_-Dr. Sato_

"Mr. Brown." The large, black haired man turned around, looking about the skinny aide that was running after him. He sighed and lumbered around, staring at the man as he came to a stop, holding a bunch of papers, scrambling to catch the few that were drifting out of his hands. The aide paused to catch his breath, shaking his head before standing up straight. "Mr. Brown we have a problem."

"I am aware of that. A spaceship crashed into Domino Harbor not an hour ago. I would have to be blind and deaf to miss that!"

"We have another problem." The aide nervously reshuffled the papers he was holding. "The mayor has yet to return from his meeting out in the city, his car disappeared. The rest of the city council can't get into the city because of the gridlock. We need someone, and you're the acting mayor now."

"Really?" Joseph Brown suddenly looked interested, dropping his uninterested look and standing up straight. "That can't be right."

"You're the one with the most experience." The aide shuffled again, offering the papers to Brown. One red folder slipped out, the aide looking nervous and reaching down to pick it up. When he stood up again, two more people had joined Joseph Brown, both of them looking nervous. The aide nodded to both of them before handing the folder over and rushing away, joining the bustle of the understaffed office.

Brown took the folder, turning it over in his hands before walking towards the mayor's office, keen to get rid of his load of papers. The two other equally large people followed him, a glance showing him that they were Miss. Blaine, another of American descent who lived here, and the man in charge of the mayor's transportation. He nodded at the two of them before opening the door to the mayor's office, carelessly tossing the papers on the desk before leaning on it, looking at the two who had followed him in here.

The three of them exchanged smiles before they began laughing.

* * *

"_Reports say that a body was found inside the wreckage of the spaceship and was transported to Domino General Hospital for further examination. In other news the-"_ The newscaster was cut off as the channel was changed, the Pharaoh glancing down at the little child that had crawled into his lap, glaring at the kid before going to wrestle the remote away from him. _"Honda-kun, it looks like a ceremony."_

The Pharaoh finally got the remote away from the child, switching from the anime to the news again, disappointed when the newscast switched to something else. He sighed, passing the remote back to the pouting child before standing up and making his way back through the crowd. He caught Yugi's eyes, the human hurriedly finishing his conversation and making his way towards the door.

He stepped outside, taking a deep breath of the smoky air and enjoying the freedom that was granted to him, giving his shoulders a roll before walking over to lean on the railing. The Pharaoh looked over the apartment complex, nearly laughing at some of the wild parties that were going on. Only on Earth would an alien be welcomed like this, other planets would have figured out that something was up and run the poor creature down by now.

"Still want to stay behind?" He looked over his shoulder at Yugi, the young man walking out onto the balcony and leaning against the railing beside him, holding a soda in one hand. The Pharaoh remained silent, watching Yugi roll the can around in his hands, listening to the faint slosh of drink that remained inside. Yugi glanced over at him out of the corner of his eye. "Or are you just saying that to get rid of me."

"No." The Pharaoh shook his head. It was strange, he already hated the idea of returning to his life alone. He turned around so he was facing the apartment doors, Yugi copying his stance. "It's just a bit too human in there."

Yugi laughed, shaking his head. "Too human. I should hit you for that."

"Why?"

"That's a slur against my species." Yugi took a drink of his soda, tipping his head back so he could see the few stars that were visible, although the Pharaoh just believed that they were the lights from various high rises in the city. Still leaning back, Yugi spoke. "So, is this it? First contact? Not just another hoax?"

"No, everything was perfect, it was a crash of a real spacecraft."

"And I bet you are itching to check out that body." Yugi looked up at him, the Pharaoh surprised by how perceptive his human was. He blinked at the thought, about to shake it out of his head when Yugi spoke again. "After all, you left right after they mentioned it and merely figuring out who crashed wouldn't be interfering with this."

"You know me too well." Yugi smiled and took another sip of his soda, pushing away from the railing to head back into the house, when the Pharaoh stared after him, Yugi just shrugged.

"My mom would freak out if I disappear again. She's been keeping track of me all evening. You go on and do whatever it is that you're going to do. Remember to tell me everything though." Yugi gave him a lopsided smile, about to step back into the party when the Pharaoh stopped him, one of his hands digging in his pocket.

He pulled out a key on a chain, barely glancing at it before throwing it at Yugi, careful to make the move seem careless. Yugi caught it with one hand, fumbling slightly and ending up with the chain tangled around his fingers. He raised his free hand to look at the key, watching in spin in the lights that came from the apartments, tipping his head to one side. The Pharaoh gave a laugh at the look. "That's a key to the TARDIS. Don't lose it."

"Thanks." Yugi gave him a big smile before walking back into the party. The Pharaoh watched him until he got into the apartment, telling himself that he was only doing this because Yugi showed a horrible predisposition towards being kidnapped. He forced himself to walk away, heading for the TARDIS and what he had intended to do as soon as he had heard that there was a body.

He walked down the stairs and stepped out into the back lot of the apartments, barely looking up at all the noise that came from the various modes of celebration. The Pharaoh was sure that more than half of these people were drunk. He sighed and continued on, reaching for his own key to the TARDIS as the blue box appeared, the sight of his ship calming him. He unlocked the TARDIS and stepped inside, not catching sight of the blonde haired man that stumbled out into the open, staring at the blue box in awe.

The Pharaoh began to put in the coordinates, moving quickly around the TARDIS. She allowed him to go into the time vortex before it began to show signs of reluctance. The Pharaoh scowled at his ship, glancing at the view screen before he was thrown forward by the sudden stop that the TARDIS made, gears grinding together in an almost angry growl. The Pharaoh looked at the console before looking up at the ceiling and laughing. "I haven't left him behind."

There was another growl from the TARDIS, a spark coming from the console, making him have to jump out of the way. The Pharaoh scowled at his rebellion ship before shaking his head, carefully circling the console. "Alright. I have _literally_ have left him behind at this moment, but I'm going back."

The TARDIS gave one last spark before moving to their destination, the Pharaoh staring at his ship with a look of amazement. "He's not your pet."

He let out a curse as the TARDIS casually sparked again, some of the sparks landing on his hand. The Pharaoh jerked his hand away, cradling it before giving the console a light kick. "Behave."

In response the TARDIS gave an extra hard jerk on landing, the Pharaoh tumbling to the floor. He groaned and pulled himself from the floor, glaring at the console before walking over to the door, opening it carefully before stepping out. He found himself in a storage closet, staring at the space before walking over to the door, slipping his sonic screwdriver out to unlock the door. The Pharaoh smiled to himself, sure that he would be able to take a look at the body and then sneak back out, unseen by anyone. Then he could have a long talk with the TARDIS about her behavior. He blinked at the door clicked, swinging it open with a smile.

His smile faded as he realized that he was in a room filled with soldiers, all of them standing up and training their weapons on him. The Pharaoh rolled his eyes, wanting to kick something when he heard the sound of a shout, tensing for a moment before he glanced at the soldiers, watching them look around. Obviously they didn't want to let their guard down when around the man who mysteriously appeared in their presence, but they wanted to go help whoever was shouting. The Pharaoh sighed and rushed forward, the soldier's parting for him. "Lock down the perimeter!"

The soldiers seemed relieved to have concrete orders, rushing off to do as he said as the Pharaoh ran down the hall towards the noise. He passed an autopsy room, having to double back when he realized that someone was standing in a corner, staring at the desk. He blinked before carefully walking in, the man glancing over at him before calmly waving him over, his brown eyes not showing any emotion. The Pharaoh complied with his request, padding across the room and leaning in close as the man spoke in a whisper. "It's still alive. They said it was dead when they brought it to me, but it just escaped."

"Where is it now?" The man pointed to behind the desk, the Pharaoh standing up and walking over, pausing at the faint sound of snorting that he heard coming from behind the desk. He motioned for the man to stay back, catching her confused nod out of the corner of his eye as he approached the desk, crouching on the ground again before peering around the other side.

He relaxed a bit as he stared at what looked like a pig in a spacesuit, a smile crossing his face. Mentally, he worked to figure out what species of alien this was, the build of the spacecraft that had craft not matching anything that he knew with any pig-like species. The Pharaoh froze as the snorted stopped, realizing that the creature was looking at him. He hesitated over what to do for a moment before speaking. "Hello."

The creature gave a squeal, running out from behind the desk. The Pharaoh was after it seconds later. The soldiers would be on high alert after the shout from the man and they would shoot before asking questions. He burst out of the autopsy room, holding out a hand to stop the two soldier who stood to either side of the door before rushing after the pig again, forcing himself into a sprint.

He was still too late.

There was the sound of a gunshot, the Pharaoh turning a corner in time to see the pig fall onto its back, a young and scared looking soldier standing in the middle of the corridor with his gun still held up to his shoulder. The Pharaoh immediately dropped to the ground beside the pig, watching as it took a final shuddering breath, his blue eyes cold. He had seen so much death that it was easy to pretend he was unaffected by it, but he was, by every single death that he had witnessed.

The Pharaoh stood up, walking over to the soldier and looming over him, deciding at the last minute not to punch the soldier; despite the fact that he wanted to so badly. "Why did you do that?" He listened to the soldier gibber for a moment before glaring the man into silence. "It wasn't dangerous, just scared!"

He turned around, hearing the soldier mutter apologies as he scooped the pig up and stormed back to the autopsy room, muttering about the stupidity of humans. For a moment, he couldn't figure out what he was waiting for, realizing he was waiting for a response from Yugi. It scared him how much he was coming to depend on that human. He swallowed, trying to regain his composure after that startling fact, carefully placing the pig on the table.

The male doctor came over, dragging a tray of equipment over before looking at the pig, running one finger down its face. The Pharaoh looked over, surprised to see that the doctor had his head down, his white bangs covering his brown eyes. "Let's get this over with."

The Pharaoh stood back as he began to examine the pig, the frown that had appeared on his face growing steadily. There was nothing alien about this creature, he grew more sure of that fact by the minute. This was just a normal Earth pig that had been found in a crashed spacecraft, which meant something about this was a hoax. Was there another creature waiting in the spaceship, undetected by humans?

He looked back up as the man put his tools to one side, finally deciding to speak up. "That's not an alien."

"It's not?"

"No. It's just an Earth pig."

"Oh." The man leaned against the table, staring at the pig for a long while before shrugging. "I just assumed that some aliens would look like this."

"No. They've just added parts to confuse you." The Pharaoh leaned back, glaring at the body on the table, hating the things who had done this to the pig. The poor creature must have been terrified, forced into a spaceship and then sent on a course meant to crash. He tapped his fingers against his arms, walking away as the doctor spoke again.

"But, why would aliens fake aliens?"

The question haunted him all the way back to the TARDIS.

* * *

Ryou Nakamura glanced around the craziness that was the city hall, swallowing nervously and clutching his paper to his chest. He stepped to one side, muttering apologies to the person who had nearly run him over, edging out of the way until he was leaning against the desk of one of the secretaries. He sighed, running a hand through his long white hair, a feature that got him mistaken for a woman. It didn't help that he had a soft voice as well.

"Oi!" Ryou turned at the shout, blushing as he recognized the secretary whose desk he was leaning again. He forced his gaze down to the ground, not wanting to meet the eyes of his secret crush. The man chuckled, Ryou hearing papers shifting as he leaned forward. "So it's you."

Ryou nodded, cautiously looking up into the russet eyes of the man. He glanced at the nametag on the man's desk, a useless move as he already knew the man by his name and by the sound of his voice alone. He gave a shy smile in return for the smile that the man gave him, the secretary leaning back in his chair and looking around the room.

"Heh." Bakura Dorobou shook his head, watching the bustle of people. Ryou followed his gaze, picking out the few people that he knew. But, then again, he was very new to his job and very low on the totem pole. He sighed, glancing down on the report he had compiled before closing his eyes in defeat. He should have known better than to come here today, there was no way that his report was going to be looked at. Of course, there had been little chance that it would be looked at anyway.

He heard the secretary cough to disguise a laugh, drawing his attention back up to the three overweight people that were making their way through the office, Ryou discretely raising his arm to cover his nose and mouth to disguise the smell of decay that seemed to come from them. Beside him, Bakura just coughed into his elbow, glaring at the three people.

As soon as they were out of earshot, he looked up. "Fat lot of good they are doing us. And, yes, the pun was intentional." Bakura scrambled around for papers on his desk, setting them in some sort of order before sitting back up. "Someone needs to actually care instead of lazing about this place. I've been in here _all day_ and I'm still not allowed to go home because of some state of emergency. I'm telling you, first chance I have, I'm out of here."

Ryou nodded absently, glancing up as he saw Joseph Brown walk past, one hand tightening by his side before he eagerly walked out, standing in his way. For a moment, he was afraid that he would be squashed by the larger man before the acting mayor stopped looking down at him like he was a bug. Ryou almost lost his nerve then, ready to rush back to Bakura's desk. But he felt the other man's eyes on him and he stayed in place, clearing his throat before beginning to speak.

"Excuse me, Mr. Brown, but the mayor asked me to investigate into the housing around Domino. And this report here-"

"Damn it man! Can't you see I'm busy?" Ryou flinched as he was interrupted, giving way as Brown made a sweeping motion with his hand. "I have no time for this, I have the people to worry about!"

He backed away as the three moved out of the mayor's office, probably off to eat or something. Ryou felt himself justified by that one thought, even daring to glare at the aide that followed on their heels. Couldn't he understand that this was for the people? He shook his head and stormed over to Bakura's desk, leaning against it with a huff.

"Idiot." Ryou nodded in agreement with Bakura, turning his head to watch the secretary play with one of the pens that he had on his desk. Bakura smiled at him before leaning back in his chair, his eyes straying towards the open office door. Ryou glanced up at the mayor's office before looking back at Bakura. The man raised one eyebrow before jerking his head in the direction of the office again. "I won't tell."

"But-"

"No one is paying attention. They're too busy currying to the favor of that man and his flunkies. You just sneak in, deposit your report and I won't say anything." He closed his eyes, still playing with the pen that he had in his hand. "It would be good to one up that man."

Ryou nodded, giving Bakura a wave before walking towards the office, surprised that no one noticed him. He quickly slipped inside and sighed with relief, clutching his report close to his chest before walking over to where the mayor's desk sat. Ryou glanced around the office, taking it the closet to one side and the cabinet that was behind the desk.

Taking a deep breath, Ryou crossed the room to the desk, placing the papers on the desk. He turned to leave when something red caught his eye. Ryou turned to look at the red folder that sat openly on the desk. He stared at it for a moment more before leaning out, seeing that no one was coming into the room before kneeling down by the desk and slowly opening the folder. His eyes skimmed over the title, widening as they read; EMERGENCY PROTOCOL.

He swallowed nervously, staring at the bold words. These pages looked clean, free from the usual marks that people made when reading, like kinked edges; which meant that the acting mayor hadn't read it yet. But this was an emergency, a spaceship had crashed into the harbor and the whole city was in a state of lockdown. Something had to be done.

Ryou shivered before he began reading, his eyes growing wider as he began to read about things that he had never known. His mouth fell open, swallowing nervously. All these secrets that the public had never been told.

He didn't know how long he had stayed in the room reading the protocols, but he snapped out of his daze when he heard people talking. Ryou looked up, automatically getting the papers back into shape before shoving them back in the folder. He stood up and padded over to the door, freezing when he saw that there was no way that he could escape. Ryou looked quickly around the room before ducking into the closet and partially shutting the door.

Four people entered the room, Ryou recognizing two of the rotund people, the acting prime minister and the man in charge of the city police, staring at the other two before he was distracted as the one in charge of the city police began to pace. "This is insane, Brown, we don't have time for this dithering. The people need _you_ to take action!"

"They are out of immediate danger so our next course of action was to bring the rest of our government here."

"No, there is still panic, my police force is stretched to its limits." The man gave a growl, spinning to face the acting mayor. "I may have no choice by to strip you of your duty. And, for the good of the people, I will!"

Joseph Brown stopped the chuckle that he had kept up this entire time, suddenly serious for the first time. The other two were completely serious as well, staring at the man. Brown was the first to move, walking over to shut the door, much to Ryou's dismay. He had been hoping to get out soon, not wanting to get caught. He couldn't lose this job after working so hard to get it. And then, how would he find Bakura after that.

He blushed at the thought, looking down at his hands. His head jerked up suddenly at the blue light that flickered through the cracks. Ryou pressed his eye to one of them, his mouth dropping open as he watched Brown and his two flunkies unzip their heads, the blue light pouring out. He had to raise a hand to his mouth and bite down on it to keep from screaming. Ryou stumbled to the back of the closet, his heart pounding in double time as something in the mayor's office roared.

__

* * *

_Please read and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome._


	14. Confrontation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter Thirteen: Confrontation**

**Chapter Thirteen: Confrontation**

"_You ruined my life, Doctor. They thought she was dead. I was a murder suspect because of you."_

_-Mickey Smith_

Yugi relaxed in his chair, breathing a sight of relief. Most of the people had left by now, leaving a small group that still hung around the house. Yugi smiled to himself and reached up to his neck, holding the key that the Pharaoh had given to him. He couldn't stop smiling every time he looked and the seemingly ordinary key. But it unlocked another whole world for him, as cliché as that sounded. He dropped the key back to his chest, looking at it as it sparkled in the lights of his home. Only a few more hours and he would be back among the stars.

Commotion from the front of the apartment made him sit up, staring at the entryway. He heard gasps and people cleared out of the way, flowing out of the apartment or into the living room. Yugi's own mouth fell open in shock as he saw Joey standing in the doorway, staring right at him.

The blonde stumbled farther into the room, Yugi noticing the dark circles under his friend's eyes and the mussed blonde hair. He pushed up from his chair, walking forward as Joey stumbled again, catching his friend as he was about to fall. Yugi nearly fell himself with Joey's full weight on him before Joey pushed himself upright. Yugi was pulled into a tight hug the next minute. "Yug', you're alive! We were worried sick about you!"

"Someone owes an apology." Yugi glanced over at the old lady that had spoken, clearing his throat before beginning to speak.

"Joey…I…"

"Not you!" The old lady waved him off, pointing at someone that was standing in the kitchen. "Her."

Yugi turned, staring at his mother. Junri looked at the crowd before shrugging at Joey and walking out into the crowd again. Yugi stared after his mother before pulling Joey into the kitchen, shutting the door to cut them off from the rest of the crowd. "Joey, I-"

"Yug' what happened?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you, Joey." Yugi leaned back against the counter, taking a deep breath, some part of him glad to be away from all those people. He glanced up at Joey again, biting his lip before speaking. "What happened to you, Joey? Why did my mother have to apologize to you?"

Joey slumped back against the door, shaking his head. "It's been a hard year, Yug'. You disappeared one day and Miho came back sobbing about how you disappeared with a man in a box, we all thought it was the stress. But then, you didn't come back for months and we all started to worry. Your mother called the police and Miho couldn't handle the rush of question so she moved to the next city, got a new job, everything."

"Oh." Yugi shifted uncomfortably, staring down at the floor. He had just run off without telling Miho anything. He looked up at the short laugh that Joey gave.

"Of course, she still considers herself your girlfriend. I see her sometimes and she's still mourning your death."

"Well…what about you?"

Joey shifted so he wasn't looking and Yugi anymore, just staring at the wall. Yugi swallowed, suddenly wanting to take back his question. It was obvious that something was bothering Joey and he had just ignored that. His hands tightened briefly in their grip on the counter, tensing as he waited for an answer.

The blonde sighed and ran a hand through his mop of blonde hair. "After you disappeared, Yug', it's been hard. Your mother was worried out of her mind and had us looking for you. And then the police came around to my place, this was after Miho moved. Apparently, I was the prime suspect for taking you away."

"Joey…"

"Of course, there was no evidence for that, but that didn't stop them or your mother. My life fell apart after that. I lost my job because of the accusations that were flying around. My mom came to get Serenity and took her to live with her, saying that I was unstable. Mai broke up with me and moved away and…it just all fell apart." Yugi watched as Joey slid to the floor, his eyes wide. "I can barely walk around here without hearing comments on how I'm going to turn out like my father."

Yugi stared at his best friend, wanting nothing more to run away from this situation. All of this had happened to Joey because of him, because he hadn't thought. His hold on the counter gave way, Yugi slumping to the floor as well. He heard the faint noise of the TARDIS key against its chain, looking down at the key as it rested against his chest. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair before looking up at Joey.

The blonde was looking at him again, shaking his head slowly. "I tried to look for you to prove that I hadn't killed you. I even asked Miho what happened that night. She just spouted some nonsense about a blue box and a man who called himself the Pharaoh. I even went to go talk to Clive, only to find out that he had died when those dummies came to life in all of the malls. But I found out a lot."

"Joey…I'm so sorry. None of this should have happened." It was only supposed to be twelve hours! He dropped his head to rest in his hands. He wasn't important enough to cause this kind of landslide. Now he wanted to disappear with the Pharaoh again, aim for twelve hours again and hope that his reappearance erased all of this.

"Yug', are you still considering going with him again?" He looked up at Joey, noticing that is friend was staring at the key that he wore around his neck. Yugi quickly reached up to grab the key, hiding it from sight with his hand. Joey crawled across the floor to him, Yugi leaning back to avoid meeting the blonde's brown eyes. He whimpered when he found that Joey had trapped him. "Do you know what happens to the people who travel with them? I have a list of people and they're all dead!"

"No!" Yugi rolled away, shaking his head. He wouldn't die, he and the Pharaoh took care of each other. He didn't want to die but he didn't want to lose this chance, because it was amazing out there. He shook his head, standing up with the help of the counter. "You're wrong."

He walked over to the door, turning the handle. He paused when he heard Joey get up. "He's not out there, Yugi." Yugi looked over his shoulder, staring at his friend as Joey crossed his arms. "He's left without you, Yugi."

Yugi shook his head. He knew where the Pharaoh had gone. The Pharaoh wouldn't leave him here, not after giving him the key and that promise. Still, he had to prove them all wrong. Yugi nearly flung open the door and stormed to his front door. He knew that Joey was following him, but he caught sight of his mother following him out as well. Let them follow, Yugi didn't care.

The Pharaoh would come back and then they would figure out what aliens had landed, maybe be able to ease the panic that was slowly taking over the city after the initial celebration. After all, there had been too many books and movies about what aliens would do to people to ease the fears.

Yugi shoved open the door that led from the stairwell to the lot behind the apartments, his eyes jumping immediately to where the TARDIS had been parked before, his heart sinking when he realized that the Pharaoh wasn't back yet. He glanced over at a nearby wall, steeling himself to sit outside and wait, because that's all he could do.

"I told you!" Yugi looked over his shoulder as he hoped up onto the wall, crossing his arms over his chest and looking at Joey. "I told you that he had left! He's probably gone off to get another person. You've escaped!"

"What do you mean, Joey?" Junri caught up to them, snapping the question out. Yugi rolled his eyes and turned back to stare at the spot where the TARDIS had once sat, ignoring the argument that was going on beside him. Let those two argue about where he had been, he was more than ready to figure out what was going on with the crash of the spaceship.

He shot up straight as the key that he wore around his next began to glow softly, getting warm. Yugi hopped down from the wall, carefully holding the key in his hand before smiling. The Pharaoh was coming back. He looked up at the sound of the TARDIS, narrowing his eyes against the gust of wind that came as the ship materialized. Over the sound of the engines, he barely heard the sound of the argument stop abruptly.

The TARDIS appeared fully, Yugi charging towards the door and smiling as the Pharaoh opened the door. The Time Lord stepped out of the way, allowing Yugi into the TARDIS. The two of them moved up to the console, the Pharaoh pulling the view screen around so that they could both see it. Yugi stared at the screen for a minute before two gasps made him spin around, his violet eyes widening.

Joey and his mother were standing in the TARDIS, equal looks of shock on their face. Yugi looked back up at the Pharaoh, the Time Lord too focused on the screen and the adjustments he was making to notice the two humans. Yugi swallowed and walked down the ramp towards them, looking between his best friend and his mother.

Junri was the first to move, shaking her head and stumbling out of the TARDIS with a cry of surprise. Yugi lunged after her, brought up short by a call from the Pharaoh. "Yugi, I need you up here."

Yugi raced down the rest of the ramp, peering out of the door to see his mother running for their apartment. She turned back, staring at him. Yugi gave a wave before cupping his hands around his mouth and shouting, "I'll be back up in a few!"

He shut the door and raced back up the ramp, passing the stunned Joey. He slid to a stop beside the Pharaoh, glaring at the man. "That's my mother!"

"She'll be fine." The Pharaoh didn't look up from what he was doing, scowling at the screen for a moment before giving it a firm whack. The screen flicked before showing the Earth, a red dot flashing on and off, pointing to it. "A signal was picked up from the North Sea three days ago."

"Does that have anything to do with the crash?"

The Pharaoh shrugged, pressing a few more keys and the signal disappeared. "The more pressing thing is that spacecraft. I looked at the body."

"Is it alien?"

The Pharaoh shook his head, staring with the screen and smiling when a tiny representation of the spacecraft appeared. "No, so I've modified the scanner to track the spaceship." A series of almost hieroglyphic symbols appeared in the bottom corner of the screen, the Pharaoh leaning down to stare at it before pulling back. "It was launched twelve hours ago from Earth."

Yugi watched the screen replay the launch and crash, tipping his head to one side. "From Earth? So it's not an invasion?"

"No, not an invasion." The Pharaoh leaned against the console, appearing to go deep into thought.

"Thought it was weird." Yugi turned to look at Joey, smiling as the blonde walked up the ramp. Joey still walked cautiously, stepping like he expected the floor to disappear the next minute. Yugi stepped closer to the Pharaoh to allow Joey to see the screen, watching him stare at the animation before shaking his head. "It's an odd way to invade, putting the whole Earth on red alert."

"So it talks." The Pharaoh gave a short laugh, beginning to roam around the console. "How long did it take you to teach him that?"

Yugi glanced over at Joey, slightly amused by the flabbergasted look that crossed his friend's face. He shook his head, leaning around the console, intending to correct the Pharaoh on this point. He was cut off as the Pharaoh moved around so he was standing beside Joey, looking the young man over before shaking his head. "I don't allow dogs on the TARDIS, Yugi."

"Hey! I am not a dog!"

"Yugi, keep your mutt quiet before I kick him out."

Joey lunged for the Pharaoh, the Time Lord easily stepping away from the blonde. Yugi backed away from the console letting Joey chase the Pharaoh out the circular console, the Time Lord not looking bothered by the efforts of the blonde human. Yugi shook his head and walked over to one of the forked support beams, pulling himself up into the dip and relaxing. He heard a happy rumble from the TARDIS, reaching out to pet the beam before leaning forward to stare at more of the writing that was on the column.

He looked up at a yelp from Joey, his friend leaping back from the console as the TARDIS tried to spark him. Yugi gave a nod to the Pharaoh, showing that he was listening from his perch. The Time Lord glanced over at him before continuing to work, sometimes throwing an idea over to Yugi for the human to think over, Joey still trying to get him for all the dog comments that were thrown his way.

* * *

Junri sat in the deserted living room, all the people who had been there disappearing after the appearance of Joey. She glanced at the news program that was still running, shivering and holding her shoulders.

That was the man her son had gone off with, and he had that strange box. Her mind refused to comprehend the size of the thing, it was just too big. And that's where her son had been this entire time…with that man. Junri shook her head, the Pharaoh wasn't a man. There was no way that was made by humans; which meant that he was an alien.

Her little boy had been abducted by an alien. There was no way of telling what had happened to him in the year that he was gone, his mind could have been messed with so that he only remembered what that alien wanted him to remember.

Junri gave a small sob at the thought. Everything that was Yugi could have been damaged. Her poor little boy. She hastily wiped her eyes, reminding herself that she had to be strong. She had been strong when raising him and when he had been abducted, she just had to stay that strong. Junri looked up at the television as they continued their coverage of the crash.

"_If you have any information on aliens please call the number at the bottom of the screen. Operators will be standing by to talk your call."_

Junri lunged for the phone, quickly dialing the number that sat on the bottom of the screen. Her heart pounded as the phone rang, her mind not slowing down long enough for thought. She just wanted to get her son away from the alien before he did anything else to Yugi.

She nearly let out a whimper as she got a busy tone, biting her lip to stop the sound before pulling the phone away from her ear and hitting redial. The phone rang for a long moment before the busy tone sounded out again. Junri pulled the phone away and stared at it for a moment more. One more try and then she would give up. She sighed and hit redial, listening to the dial tone and jumping when a voice answered. "Hello?"

"Hello, I have information on an alien." Junri pressed the phone to her ear, clinging to it like it was her last hope. "My son is with him and…and…I don't know….I…"

"Calm down." Junri nodded, taking a shaky breath and releasing it. She heard scrambling in the background before the calming voice was back. "Tell us about this alien."

"He calls himself the Pharaoh and he has a blue box." Junri wracked her brain for more information, remember a word that Yugi had let slip during the small party. She nodded before speaking again. "My son said something about a TARDIS earlier tonight."

Alarm bells went off in the background, Junri jumping at the sound. She looked around, panicked before the calming voice came on the line again. "Don't worry about that. We'll have that taken care of. Thank you for your time and we'll do what we can."

"Thank you. Thank you, thank you." The line clicked as the person on the other end hung up, Junri carefully taking the phone away from her ear and staring at it before hanging up on her end. Surprisingly, she felt better having done that. Hopefully there would be something that they could do to help her son.

* * *

Ryou stared at the flashing screen on Bakura's computer, leaning over the man as he read over what the screen was saying. He hardly glanced up as people came to see what was going on, not even seeing the acting mayor renter the room. His eyes moved quickly across the screen, frowning as he read what it said. "Code 9 Alert?"

Bakura shrugged, the motion making one of his shoulders brush again Ryou's chest. "I've never heard of Code 9."

Ryou swallowed nervously, some of what he had read in the emergency protocols coming back to him. But he didn't have that kind of authority, not from his position. He bit his lip and glanced up, barely hiding the squeak of surprise that threatened to emerge when he saw Joseph Brown standing close by. Despite his efforts, he still began to shiver.

The acting mayor gave him a look over before snorting in disgust. "If you're that cold Nakamura, bring a jacket. You should be able to anticipate these sort of things in an office."

Ryou gave a slow nod, completely sure that a jacket wouldn't help. He just couldn't bring himself to forget what he had _seen_. He was surprised that he was able to speak so calmly to Brown right now.

He jumped as something was pressed against his side, looking down to see Bakura offering him the long black coat that the man always wore, giving Bakura a smile before pulling on the coat. It took everything he had not to take a deep breath, reveling in Bakura's scent, instead meeting Joseph Brown's gaze. "I don't know what Code 9 is either, but perhaps…"

The sound of Bakura scrambling around on his desk made Ryou stop, looking over at the man in surprise. From the depths of one of the drawers, Bakura pulled out a little card, the man absently moving the long white hair that he kept in a ponytail out of his way as he stared at the card. Ryou leaned over, trying to read the compact and faded writing.

"It lists a number here for UNIT but that's it under Code 9." Bakura shrugged and rested the card down on his desk. "Maybe they would help with the alien thing."

Joseph Brown hesitated over it for a while before he gave Bakura a nod. "Call them. If they can, tell them to send over any experts they can."

Bakura gave a salute before picking up the phone again, Ryou hovering at his shoulder. He hadn't left the secretary's side since he had rushed out of the mayor's office. Ryou paid close attention to the two who followed after Mr. Brown, noticing that the man in charge of transportation was gone, but he knew where that man was. Ryou bit his lip to keep from making any noise. Hopefully some of these UNIT people would be able to help them.

He leaned close to Bakura to be able to hear what the person on the other end of the line was saying, finding himself staring into russet eyes as Bakura leaned back in his chair. The two remained quiet, Bakura the first to speak as someone answered the phone.

"Yeah, we've got a computer telling us that we have a Code 9 alert here." There was a long pause. "Yes, I'm sure that it's a Code 9. It's flashing in red." Another pause. "No, I don't know what that means."

Bakura glanced back at the mayor's office, looking up at Ryou before giving a shrug. "The acting mayor isn't doing much right now, but I have a minor government official that could give me the go ahead." Pause. "You don't need it? Alright then, we'll get ready."

Bakura hung up, Ryou surprised by the amount of patience that the man had showed on the phone. To his confused look, Bakura just shrugged and stood up. "It gets me out of here faster. We're not doing anything to help anyway, just a bunch of people running around in a panic."

Ryou found himself behind shoved in the direction of the mayor's office, shaking the more he approached the place. Bakura gave him the final push into the office, hovering outside the doors. Ryou looked over at the closet, swallowing harshly before looking at the mayor. "UNIT will be sending people over."

Joseph Brown looked up from the paper that he held, the one that Ryou remembered holding the information for Code 9, the one that he hadn't quite finished reading. He gave a slow nod, flipping over the page to look at something else before focusing on Ryou again. "Ah, yes, Code 9. Have someone get a room ready to receive all of them." Ryou nodded and went to leave, wanting nothing more than to run out of that room. He forced himself to stop, tensing as Brown spoke again. "Also, send officers out to that place where you go that call from to pick up whatever triggered the Code 9. I'm putting you in charge of this thing Mr. Nakamura."

He gave a stiff nod before walking out of the office. He caught Bakura's eye as he walked out, raising an eyebrow at the smug look on Bakura's face. Ryou walked over to Bakura's desk, leaning against it as he waited for the secretary to join him. He was highly aware of how long it took Bakura to walk over, forcing himself not to look too long at the man. He focused his gaze on the desk, shoving the phone at Bakura and giving him a light push to sit down.

"Call the police and get them over to where that call came from, it should be easy to find. Tell them to look for a blue box from the 1950's, that sort of thing. You're with me for this whole UNIT thing. Finish with that and then help me get this whole thing set up. No one else will." He moved away from the desk, rolling his eyes at the salute that Bakura gave him. He paused when Bakura cleared his throat, turning around to look at the man.

Bakura gave him a look that made him shiver, Ryou not doubting Bakura's interest any longer. If they survived all of this, he was asking Bakura out, no matter how many excuses not to he came up with. That look alone was worth it.

The secretary tapped his pen on the desk before sitting up. "You know, you look good in my clothes."

Ryou blushed when he realized that he was still wearing the black coat that Bakura had given him. It took all his had not to mutter out an apology and return the article of clothing, reminding himself that now was as good a time as anything to act. He threw Bakura a wink before walking out, managing to keep his cool until he was out of earshot. Then, much to his embarrassment, he broke down into excited giggles.

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* * *

_Please read and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome._


	15. The Best Laid Plans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter Fourteen: The Best Laid Plans**

**Chapter Fourteen: The Best Laid Plans**

"_Take me to your leader!"_

_-The Doctor_

Yugi slid down from his perch, giving the TARDIS one last pat before walking over to the Pharaoh, tucking the key underneath his shirt. He gave a little shiver as the cold metal rested against his skin, looking over at where Joey was staring at the screen, trying to come up with something that would make the Pharaoh take back all his dog comments. But he had been up to that for the last thirty minutes.

They started down the ramp to the door, the Pharaoh pausing to look over his shoulder. "Come on, mutt. I don't trust you alone in my ship."

Joey let out a sound that resembled a growl before following after them. Yugi opened the door to the TARDIS, hopping out. The Pharaoh nearly threw Joey out next, the blonde brushing himself off and beginning to walk away. Yugi waited for the Pharaoh to lock the door to the TARDIS, the two of them freezing at the sound of sirens in the night. Yugi spun around, spying Joey frozen nearby in the shadows. He looked towards the sound before waving Joey off.

He reached for the Pharaoh, grabbing onto his coat and beginning to run after Joey when a car came between him and the blonde. Yugi stumbled back, feeling the Pharaoh wrap an arm around his waist, forcing him to stand with his back to the TARDIS. The arm disappeared when a light from a helicopter fell on them.

Yugi blinked at the sudden light, swallowing nervously as policemen began to walk out of the cars, his eyes going immediately to the obese man stepping from the car, noticing that his mother was running across the lot as well. He went to run towards her, a shout for her to stay back dying in his throat as the Pharaoh yanked him back in place.

"Don't fight, Yugi. They're here to help you!" Junri was stopped by a police officer, gently guided to one side before another approached Yugi, his attention pulled away from his mother by the man's approach.

"We were told to come and retrieve the Pharaoh."

"That's me."

The man shifted nervously, acting like he was working off memorized orders. "You've been summoned to city hall to join with UNIT."

Yugi thought he saw a spark of recognition in the Pharaoh's eyes before the Time Lord nodded, the police officer relaxing before walking back to the others. Yugi's eyes widened as a black car that was obviously _not_ a police car was pulled up, one of the officers opening the door and waiting for them to walk over. The Pharaoh smirked and began walking over, Yugi hesitating for a moment before following.

The officer holding the door stopped him, Yugi glancing at the dark interior of the car before glancing at the officer. "I'm sorry, sir, but-"

"He's with me." The Pharaoh sounded slightly annoyed. "I never travel anywhere without him."

The officer hesitated for a moment before nodding, stepping aside to let Yugi get into the car. He sat down, leaning forward as he heard his mother shout. While he buckled his seat belt, he craned his neck to see her, watching as she was talked to before being escorted back to the apartment by the obese officer. Yugi sighed and settled back into his seat, running a hand over his face. The Pharaoh glanced over at him, Yugi watching the Time Lord out of the corner of his eye. He seemed to struggle for a while before speaking. "She'll be fine."

"That's new, coming from you." Yugi shook his head before letting the hand that was on his face drop back into his lap. "But I know that. What I don't know is this UNIT deal?"

"Oh." The Pharaoh waved his hand dismissively. "I used to work with them on an off. Alien experts." He rolled his eyes in an exaggerated fashion, showing just what he thought of their expertise. "But something must have triggered a Code 9, which is why they called me in."

Yugi looked over at the Time Lord before rolling his eyes. "You can't be that important."

"What if I am?" The two stared at each other before breaking into laughter, Yugi leaning back into his seat. They lapsed into companionable silence for the rest of the ride, Yugi looking out the window at the city of Domino, feeling that everything was new to him. There was no familiarity anymore, not the mind numbing familiarity at least. He smiled, staring at his reflection in the window for a minute before looking beyond it, paling as he saw the crowds that had gathered outside the city hall.

Yugi turned as the door on the Pharaoh's side was opened up, turning and unbuckling his seatbelt before sliding out. He kept in the Pharaoh's shadow as he walked into the city hall, eyes moving nervously towards all the cameras. The Pharaoh gave him a little shove inside, Yugi straightening up and following him through the halls. An aide came up to them, fumbling with a folders and nametags, beginning to lead them to a room. "Here's the report on this incident." A folder was handed to the Pharaoh before the aide untangled a nametag, checking it before offering it to him. "And this is your nametag. Please keep it on at all times."

They arrived at a small conference room, the Pharaoh walking in first. Yugi went to follow him but was blocked by an aide. "I'm sorry, only authorized people in that room."

Yugi tried to duck around the aide, growing frustrated when he couldn't. He took a step back, watching as the Pharaoh turned around, looking at where he was being kept from entering the room. Yugi might have imagined the look of fear that ran across the Pharaoh's face before the Time Lord headed across the room. "He's with me."

"I'm sorry, sir, we can't let him in."

The Pharaoh sighed, looking at the gathering before back at Yugi. Yugi was about to motion for him to go on when a hand grabbed his shoulder, Yugi turning around as a white haired man stumbled to a stop, panting for air. He was treated to a kind smile before the man straightened up. "I'll look after him, promise."

Yugi found himself being dragged away from the room, reminding himself to smile before turning and walking alongside the man. He was lead away from the conference room and up a set of stairs onto the second floor offices. The man gave a wave to another white haired man who was sitting at a desk, Yugi thinking that they were twins before he was pulled into what he assumed was the mayor's office and shut the door behind him.

He was about to ask the man what was going on when the man started to shiver, falling to his knees on the floor and rubbing his arms. Yugi immediately knelt by his side, cautiously resting a hand on his shoulder before giving it a short squeeze. The man looked up nervously, a shaky smile crossing his face. "I'm sorry, but I don't know who else to turn to. You came with one of the experts, so I thought that you would know what to do."

"I'm sorry, but I'm kind of new at this."

The man shrugged. "Something is better than nothing. I'm Ryou Nakamura."

"Yugi Mutou." He stood up with Ryou, watching as the man walked quickly over to the closet and opened the door, shuddering at something that was inside it. Yugi crept closer, nearly screaming when Ryou pulled out what looked like a rubber costume. The man held it up before dropping it to the ground, nervously wiping his hands on his jeans.

Yugi knelt by the costume, reaching out a hand to touch it before stopping, staring at it for a while longer. He swallowed nervously before pulling his hand away, something telling him that it wasn't rubber or a costume. He looked up at Ryou, who was still trembling. "What was this?"

"It used to be a person…but there was something inside it. See that?" Ryou pointed towards the forehead, Yugi seeing something that reminded him of a zipper there. "They unzipped from there and there was this light. And then the alien came out."

Yugi moved quickly away from the human skin, shivering before standing up and looking around the room. He paused before walking over to the large cabinet. He hesitated before taking a hold of the handles. "Maybe we can find something else in here."

Ryou nodded and followed him over, Yugi yanking the doors open. They both jumped to the sides as a body fell out, Ryou covering his mouth with his hands. "That's the mayor! What is he doing here?"

Yugi knelt down on the ground, feeling for the pulse point and waiting, shaking his head when there was nothing. Ryou stumbled backwards, hugging himself. "They said that he had left this morning, before the crash and that he couldn't get in…of course, that was an alien in the transport manager's skin."

"Ryou?" The other white haired man peeked in, looking from the dead body on the floor to the two that were standing to either side of it. He hesitated by the door before walking in and shutting it behind him. He glanced down at the skin on the floor and then at the dead body again before walking quickly over to pull Ryou into a hug. Ryou clung to the man, shivering.

"What do we have here?" All three of them turned around quickly as a blonde woman waddled into the room, staring at all of them with a predatory gleam in her eye. She took in the skin on the floor and body on the floor before shaking her head. "Oh, we have some naughty people here."

Ryou pulled away from the man that he was clinging to, clearing his throat. "Miss. Blaine…"

They all froze as she lifted one hand to her forehead, fingers finding a zipper there and beginning to pull it across her head. Yugi yelped and jumped over the dead body, spinning around to face the alien with the intention of running for the door, his plan stopped dead as the alien began wiggling out of the human's skin.

Yugi tipped his head back to stare at the tall green alien, his eyes drifting from the large black eyes on the oval shaped head that was perched on the curved neck to the three large claws that made up the hand of the creature. He took a step back, the urge to run suddenly leaving him. He ran into Ryou, feeling the man claw at him, the motion an appeal to do something. But Yugi couldn't think of anything to do.

The creature gave a shriek and lashed out with its claws, grabbing the other white haired man by the neck and lifting him up into the air. Ryou darted around Yugi with a scream. "Bakura!"

* * *

Junri walked into her apartment, the obese police officer following her. She gave him a strained smile before walking into the kitchen. "Would you like some tea?"

"Sure." He roamed absently around the living room, looking at the pictures that lined the mantle. He paused at one of the more recent ones, pointing at it with a smile. "Is that your son?"

"Yes." Junri disappeared into the kitchen, putting the kettle on to boil, listening to the officer move around in the next room.

"I heard that he had gone missing for a year. Am I correct in assuming that I saw him when we found the Pharaoh?"

Junri nodded, bustling around the kitchen without any real purpose, keeping an eye on the officer. "I'm just worried about him."

"Don't all parents worry about their offspring?"

She had her back to the living room, staring at the kettle. She wasn't happy that her son had gone off with the Pharaoh, but maybe they could do something. Now that she was calmer, she was laughing at her initial thoughts. There was still a threat of Yugi having been mind washed, but it was distant, a stupid conclusion for her to jump to.

Junri shook her head, stopping the motion when she saw a light flickering in the background, too clean for it to be any of the lights in her house. Her stomach dropped, Junri turning slowly to face the door of the kitchen. A hand rose to cover her mouth as she watched the flickering light stop, a tall green alien moving from the living room towards her. And all she could do was scream.

* * *

The Pharaoh barely paid attention to the members of UNIT that filed in, flipping through the report that he had been given and becoming more uneasy with every passing moment. Most of the information that they needed was here, but it was clear enough for any government official to add things up. Of course, there were parts still missing, but the report basically said that it was a single crash and wasn't going to affect Earth.

He looked up with a frown, glaring at the nametag that hung around his neck for a moment before glancing back up at the two obese men that came into the room, one sitting behind a desk and the other standing up. The Pharaoh forced himself to pay attention, despite the horrible smell that came from the two men at the front of the room.

The man that he assumed was in charge of the proceedings folded his hands together, leaning forward a bit. "We have gathered all of you here for a reason. The reports hold all we know about alien activities. Feel free to advise us on what to do and we will do what we can."

The Pharaoh flipped through his report again before shaking his head and standing up. "What I want to know is why nothing has been done about the signal that was found in the North Sea. It's obvious that nothing can be done about that spaceship crash because the single occupant is already dead."

His mind rushed ahead of him, the report falling from his hand as he stared at the wall in front of him. "Unless this whole thing was a fake." That would be a reason for aliens to fake an alien and crash a ship. "The crash was merely a distraction to pull our attention away from that signal…and to get us all here."

The acting mayor was smiling, slowly standing up from his seat. The Pharaoh glared at him, pulling himself up to his full height. "This is a trap."

The man just nodded, pulling out a device from his pocket, flipping the top from it. The Pharaoh stared at it, wondering what that would do. He was interrupted as the other man reached up to his forehead, openly staring as the man began to unzip his forehead. The Pharaoh blinked in amazement as blue light flickered, the man pulling his skin off to reveal a tall, green alien.

The alien carelessly tossed away the skin, blinking at all of the people gathered in the room. It moved its head, focusing on the Pharaoh before letting out a burbling laugh. "Well done, Pharaoh. But you cannot escape the Slitheen."

The acting mayor smiled, his thump hovering over the button on your device. "We thank you for wearing the nametags, they will help us identify the bodies."

The Pharaoh was about to lunge forward when he felt electricity run through his body, the pain driving him to his knees. He gasped in pain, staring up at the Slitheen and the man beside it, watching as the other experts writhed in their chairs, his vision slowly beginning to blacken around the edges.

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_Please read and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome._


	16. World War Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter Fifteen: World War Three**

**Chapter Fifteen: World War Three**

"_Sorry. You get used to this stuff when you're friends with him."__  
__"Well that's a strange friendship."_

_-Rose Tyler and Harriet Jones_

The Pharaoh gasped, his muscles refusing to obey him, feeling his body wanting to crumple. He gritted his teeth against the pain that was running through him. He opened his eyes slightly, his vision wavering between complete darkness and a blurry picture of the room. He could see where the Slitheen and the man were laughing at their plight, hating the sound.

How dare they laugh at _him_? How dare they laugh at the last Time Lord, at the Oncoming Storm? They would pay for this.

He reached blindly for the chair that he had been sitting on, digging his fingers into the seat while his other hand reached up for his nametag, holding on to the plastic rectangle before pulling it over his head, inhaling a deep breath of air as he stood up, the electricity no longer running rampant through his body. The Pharaoh glared at the two at the front of the room, stumbling forward slowly, his muscles still protesting the rough treatment.

"Deadly for humans, maybe." He lunged forward, the nametag still sparking in his hand. The Pharaoh grabbed onto the collar that the Slitheen wore, using the hand that was holding the nametag to jam the plastic rectangle into the space in the front of the collar, looping the lanyard around once before backing up, nearly falling over as the electricity was stopped running through him. He smiled and watched the two in the front of the room twitch before stumbling into a run.

He nearly fell running from the room, hanging onto the doorway before rushing towards the front of the city hall, knowing that there would be a police force there. Slowly, his muscles began to work correctly, obeying his command instead of just twitching because of the electricity that had been running through him.

The Pharaoh stumbled into the entry hall, the armed officers that stood there looking at him in confusion. He waved for them to come over, quickly gathering his breath before attempting to talk, not liking the way his voice fluctuated. "Follow me."

He turned and began to run back to the room where the experts were, hearing the even tread of the officers' shoes. The Pharaoh forced himself not to wince at the sound, realizing that they could be heard coming from the room where the experts had been.

He nearly threw himself into the room, staring at the two men in the front of the room, the alien back in his skin suit, meaning that he had been too late. The Pharaoh resisted the urge to hit the doorframe, slumping against it for a moment before walking into the room, only to stop as the acting mayor pointed at him with a fat, quivering finger. "That man killed the experts, all of them."

"He's right, sir." The Pharaoh looked down at the officer that had knelt to test the pulse of the nearest expert. He narrowed his eyes and backed through the group of officers, watching at they digested the lie that they had been fed, his eyes darting down as he heard the guns being readied to be fired.

"You'd believe him over me?" The Pharaoh rolled his eyes, taking steps towards the door, acting agitated. Internally, he was perfectly calm, already planning his escape. He would go after Yugi and get him out easily and then they would bring the TARDIS into this, there was no reason to keep it out of this conflict, especially with aliens controlling the government. "Typical humans."

He was out of the door in the next moment, running through the corridors. He slid to a stop, his coat whipping around his legs as he stared at the squad of police that were blocking his way to the stairs. The Pharaoh glanced around before taking off down another corridor, knowing that he was acting very suspicious at the moment, but he didn't have the time to be subtle. He still had no idea what these aliens were doing.

The Pharaoh came to an awkward stop, reaching out to hold onto the wall as he nearly fell over, watching armed officers followed by the two obese men came barreling around one corner, turning around to see the officers that had blocked his way up the stairs blocking off his other escape route. The Pharaoh stood up straight, about to curse when his hand slid against a section of the wall behind him, a smiling crossing his face as he turned his back to the wall, his fingers sliding down it and depressing a certain section of it.

The officers circled him, the Pharaoh looking calmly at all of them as the acting mayor came waddling up behind them. The Pharaoh leaned back as a pudgy finger was pointed at him, taking a step backwards as the man caught his breath. "Kill him, he's not human!"

"That's speciesism." The Pharaoh snapped, tipping his head to the side as he heard something move in the wall behind him. He moved one foot back so the heel was resting against the wall, counting down the seconds until his rescue came as he smirked as the humans.

"Although, there is one thing you have forgotten." There was the soft chime of a bell behind him, the humans and the two disguised aliens looking up at the elevator behind him that opened, the Pharaoh nearly laughing as he slipped into the elevator. "Never try to hold someone against an elevator."

He nearly punched the button to shut the door, stepping to one side and flattening himself against the wall in case one of the humans tried to fire at him. He heard the doors closing, listening to the two officials trying to make the officers move. The Pharaoh smile and went to stand back in the center of the elevator, pressing the button to take him to the next floor, intent on finding Yugi.

* * *

Yugi shoved Ryou backwards as the creature jerked, stumbling backwards and dropping Bakura. His hold on the government official didn't last long, Ryou rushing over to Bakura and helping him up. The man rubbed his throat, making a wheezing noise before nodding that he was alright. Yugi took one look at the green alien, noticing that it was twitching like it was being electrocuted before shoving them for the exit.

He didn't know what had stopped the alien, but he didn't want to stay behind to find out.

Yugi hit his full out sprint, barely pausing to fling open the door and wave them through, nearly bouncing in place as he waited for Ryou and Bakura, the latter having trouble keeping up after nearly getting his windpipe crushed. He pushed them through the open door, slamming it shut and dragging the nearest chair close to prop up under the door knob. He stared at the chair for a spilt second as if to make sure that it would stay before rushing after the others.

"Somewhere to hide." Ryou looked at him in confusion while Bakura nodded and gestured in one direction, Yugi following after him and eventually grabbing onto one of the man's arms and pulling it over his neck. Ryou followed suit on the other side, the two of them nearly dragging Bakura into the next room, this one a nice reception room with couches and curtains.

Yugi dropped the arm that he held and raced for the other door, giving a short scream of frustration when it wouldn't open. He gave the knob one last yank before stumbling back, sighing before running back to where Ryou and Bakura were standing. He peeked out of the room they were in, cursing when he saw the door to where the alien was bend under the pressure. He moved back into the room, looking around before shrugging. "Hide."

Bakura was helped over to a trunk, where they lowered him in. Ryou immediately went to hide behind an ornate screen while Yugi ducked behind the curtains, all of the hiding spots in the room taken rather quickly. He tried to slow his breathing, suddenly aware of how loud his heart was beating. He took a deep breath to calm himself, pausing halfway through the motion when he heard the alien begin to walk into the room. Yugi blinked before letting out his breath as slowly as he could, staring fixedly at the curtains that he was hiding behind, trying not to move as he listened to the alien move around the room.

"Little humans!" It called out in a sing-song voice, the sound making Yugi want to wince. "I can smell you, little humans. I can smell your fear and your adrenaline. Such great spices. This hunt will be one to remember."

The alien stepped over the creaking boards, Yugi biting his lip to keep from making a sound. He looked away from the curtains to where they had hidden Bakura, hoping that the man would be alright. His eyes snapped back to the curtain as he heard the alien speak again, sounding like it was very close. "I can smell such promising meals. I smell an injured human, easy to kill off. But where would be the fun in that? I can smell one worn out, nearly smelling like those past their prime."

There was a long pause, Yugi tensing more the longer it went on. He nearly relaxed when the alien continued. "And then there is one so young…so tender."

Yugi jumped as the curtains in front of him were ripped down, finding himself staring into the black eyes of the alien. He tried to back away, finding that his back was suddenly pressed against the wall, his heart pounding even faster as the alien moved closer.

They both turned their head at the sound of a wheeze and the slam of a lid, Yugi watching as Bakura climbed out of his hiding space. The man pointed at the alien, glaring at him and speaking in a raspy voice. "I will _not_ go down that easily!"

The alien tipped its head to the side before chuckling, Yugi glancing over to where Ryou was hiding and seeing that the other man had crept out, probably to try and save Bakura. He was about to wave Ryou back into hiding when a familiar man rushed into the room. Yugi had a moment to blink before he had to duck, the alien turning abruptly and immediately getting covered in foam from a fire extinguisher.

"Come on, Yugi!" The young man raced across the room, he and the Pharaoh sharing a smile before they both rushed out. Behind them Yugi heard the alien give a screech of rage, a laugh escaping him as they rushed out of the room. Unfortunately, there was another alien waiting for them.

Yugi and the Pharaoh skidded to a stop, Yugi nearly losing his balance as his stared at the green alien. He yelped as the Pharaoh forced him around by his collar, shoving him back into the city council's room. He looked around, surprised to see Ryou and Bakura already there, the latter sitting in a chair and rubbing his throat. He turned his attention back to the Pharaoh as the Time Lord grabbed a decanter of port, digging his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket and pointing it at the crystal structure. "Now, tell me what is going on before I triplicate the flammability of this."

Yugi swallowed nervously, ducking behind the Pharaoh and looking up at Ryou as the man came running up, partially gesturing for Ryou to get back. The Pharaoh merely glanced back at the two of them before leveling a glare at the aliens. "Now, tell me who you are and why you are trying to invade?"

"We are the Slitheen."

"Don't lie to me. There isn't a species called the Slitheen!"

"Slitheen is our family name!" The alien hissed out the words, rocking back before peering forward, its comrade staring at the decanter that the Pharaoh held. "And we aren't invading. What does this little rock hold that we would be so interested in?"

"So what are you here for?"

"Business." The alien sniffed haughtily.

"What kind of business?"

"Why would we discuss it with you? And why should you care, you're not even human?"

"Who's not human?" Yugi looked back at Ryou, the man shivering.

"He's not human."

"Not now, Yugi."

"But he looks, human!" Ryou was nearly panicking now, backing away from the Pharaoh. Yugi swallowed before turning around, coaxing the man back with a smile.

"It's alright, he's on our side."

"Yugi, shut up." The young man glared at the Pharaoh's back before doing as the Pharaoh asked. He would yell at the Time Lord later. The Pharaoh had the situation under control and Yugi would not make him give up that control for now. After all, their lives were on the line. "Now, about your busi-"

"Excuse me." The Pharaoh glared at the Slitheen that had interrupted him, his hand tightening on the sonic screwdriver before relaxing. "But you said that you would triplicate the flammability of the alcohol."

"Yes." The reply was more of a snap than anything.

"That's impossible."

The Pharaoh's face dropped for a moment, his eyes darting to one side before he sighed, passing the decanter towards Ryou. The man just pointed back at Yugi, staring at the aliens. "You pass it to the left."

Yugi thought he heard something about stupid human traditions before the Pharaoh lunged for the switch on the wall, the Slitheen lunging forward only to hit a steel wall. The Pharaoh smirked before walking back over to the table, snatching the port from Yugi and setting it down far away from Bakura. "They reinforced this with steel, seeing as Domino was a quickly growing city. For a while, they thought that the capital would be transferred here so they reinforced this room only to be passed over, the steel stayed."

The Pharaoh leaned against the table with a long sigh, Yugi standing beside him as Ryou slumped onto a chair, resting his head on the table. Bakura was the only one to look perky, his voice slowly returning from the rasp his almost strangulation had reduced him to. "That's great, but now we're trapped."

Yugi glanced up at the Pharaoh, reaching out to touch his arm as the Time Lord slumped forward. "I know."

* * *

"Mrs. Mutou!" Junri looked up as someone came running towards the kitchen, Joey ducking under the twitching alien as it got shocked. He glanced up at the creature once before picking her up from the ground and shoving her in the direction of the door, pulling her into a run. "Come on, before that thing moves."

Junri just nodded, letting Joey lead her from her apartment and out into the lot behind the building. He hesitated for a moment before beginning to run across the lot, heading for where he lived. Junri almost pulled away, panicking slightly. He just lived on the other side of the lot, not far enough away for her to feel safe. But he wouldn't let her go, heading resolutely for the building and dashing up the stairs. She found herself pulled along, tensing as Joey hauled her into his apartment and quickly closed the door.

Joey leaned against the door and panted for air, letting the silence between them be drawn out for a moment before pushing away, walking into the small kitchen that the apartment came with. Not knowing what to do, Junri followed, wrapping her arms around herself. Joey barely glanced at her as he walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out a beer, easily removing the cap before leaning back against the counter. He must have sensed her gaze because he turned around with a glare, shrugging. "What?"

"With all the times that you complained about your father, I'd never thought I'd see you drinking."

"This goes under things out of my control." Joey shrugged. "Believe me when I say that this is the only one I have taken out of that thing."

"And how long ago did you by that beer?"

"About month three of Yugi being missing, when Mai broke up with me. And I didn't touch it until now. Happy?" Joey stared at the bottle in his hand before making a disgusted noise and nearly throwing the thing into the sink, crossing his arms over his chest before staring at her. "You should be safe here, at least. No one would look for you here, considering how much you hate me."

"How could I hate you?" The words were out of her mouth before Junri could stop them, her hands flying up to cover her mouth as she stared at Joey. He was looking at her in disbelief, shrugging before walking out of the kitchen and down the hall. At a loss as to what to do, Junri followed him, trying to sort out her racing thoughts. "You saved my life and you didn't take Yugi but…oh, I don't know."

She sunk into the old chair that Joey had, watching the young man move around the room, checking to see that the windows were locked and the shades down. Junri shook her head before dropping it into her hands with a moan. "Yugi is the only thing I have left. My father died when he was only months old and his father left me so long ago. He's the only family I have and I love him so much. I was so frightened when he disappeared…

"And that's not an excuse!" Junri looked up at him as Joey gave a grunt of disbelief. "It isn't, I'm just trying to get you to see my logic! I was scared, so I lashed out at the only people who could have taken him."

"And you did nothing about the real problem." Joey rolled his eyes before kneeling on the ground by Junri, looking around nervously before dropping his voice to a whisper. The sudden change of attitude from the boisterous Joey made her pay attention.

He hesitated for a moment before resting his hand on the arm of the chair to steady himself. "Miho told me about the man that he ran off with, but she wouldn't talk about it to the police because it sounded crazy. You've seen it for yourself, and it is crazy." Junri shuddered at the reminder of that box, the thing that Yugi had seen so comfortable in before nodding. Joey gave her a little smile before shifting his position. "But the Pharaoh seems to attract trouble wherever he goes. I have lists of people who have been associated with him and most of them died young."

Junri gasped, sitting back in the chair, shaking her head. The motion was not to express her disbelief for Joey's words, but to dispel the idea that this was the same man that her son was traveling with. Joey nodded, swallowing. "I've been keeping up with the blogs and websites that track him and, it's amazing all the stuff that has happened around him. But he's dangerous."

She nodded, standing up and beginning to pace, running her hands through her hair. As much as he mind just wanted to shut down right now, she had to keep thinking of something. That alien thing would be coming after her eventually and they still had to get Yugi away from that man. Junri sighed, looking at Joey.

On an unspoken, mutual agreement, Joey went to turn on the television, flipping automatically to a news channel before settling down on the floor, waving to Junri to keep her seat in the chair. Cautiously, she did so, her eyes fixed on the screen in the next moment.

Domino City Hall flashed onto the screen, a reporter standing outside and listing the people who were beginning to flood in, Junri scowling as she realized that they were all overweight. She began to pay attention to their titles, most of them not even on the city council. Junri leaned forward, trying to figure out what was going on, because it didn't make sense in her mind. The city government was supposed to be looking after their affairs while in contact with the national government, not hauling in people who were completely unrelated to government affairs. She absently brushed a strand of hair behind an ear, meeting Joey's gaze before giving a slow nod. "We should call Yugi. Maybe that man can get us out of his."

Joey nodded, digging in his pocket for his cell phone. He stared at it before quickly pressing buttons, Junri listening to the overly cheery tones of the cell phone before Joey looked at her, pressing the call button and holding the phone to his ear, taking a deep breath. "Here it goes."

__

* * *

_Please read and review. Constructive criticism is appreciated._


	17. Stuck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter Sixteen: Stuck**

**Chapter Sixteen: Stuck**

"_Cos I've seen this life of yours, Doctor, and maybe you get off on it and maybe you think it's all clever and smart, but you tell me… just answer me this… is my daughter safe?"_

_-Jackie Tyler_

The Pharaoh finally stopped pacing, looking at the three humans that here sitting at the council table. He walked back over, pulling out a chair beside Yugi and sitting next to his companion. The young man nodded absently, rolling a pencil that he had found between his fingers and biting his lip as he thought over something. After another few moments of silence, Yugi shook his head and looked up. "How do they fit?"

After an incredulous look, Yugi sat up straight, settling the pencil on the table and turning to the Pharaoh as he tried to explain further. "Those aliens are tall, about eight feet…and I'm not exaggerating!" The Pharaoh smothered his laughter at the glare that was aimed at him, motioning for Yugi to continue. "So how do they fit in those bodies?"

"Compression field with a gas exchange." The Pharaoh tapped his neck. "The collar around their neck allows them to hide, but it has to be in…bulky people."

"So that's why the mayor was killed."

"Right, too skinny." The Pharaoh leaned back, his gaze focusing on the human that Yugi said was Ryou Nakamura. He tipped his head to the side, wondering why he remembered the man when they had obviously never met before. "The smell that they have is part of it too, a constant gas exchange."

Yugi nodded and leaned back on the table, resting his head against the polished wood and rolling the pencil across the surface. The Pharaoh spared a glance at his companion before returning his focus to Ryou, moving to the next pressing issue. He had heard that name before, somewhere, but he couldn't figure out where. He drummed his fingers against the table for a brief moment before sitting up and staring at Ryou, noticing that Bakura tensed at the move, leaning slightly towards the other man. He raised an eyebrow at the move before making a point of sitting back, waiting for Bakura to relax before speaking. "Ryou Nakamura…I've heard that name before."

The man shook his head, leaning against the table. "I'm no one important, just the person with the least amount of power on the council. I don't know why I even bother coming sometimes, I'm never listened to."

He raked a hand through his hair before glancing at the door. "But that's not important either. What we need to do is to figure out how to stop this. The Emergency Protocols outlined who could help us but all the experts are dead!" Ryou looked over at him before sighing. "Except for you."

The Pharaoh nodded, directing his attention to the wall. He looked over at Yugi as something rang, both Bakura and Ryou jumping at the sudden interruption of the silence. The Pharaoh leaned back in his chair, watching as he companion rummaged around in his pocket before pulling out his cell phone and putting it on speaker. "Joey?"

"Yug', you're alive! They just said that all the experts they brought in were dead!" The Pharaoh could hear the vague chatter of the television in the background, trying to hear what the reporters were saying.

Yugi gave a nervous laugh. "No, we're alright Joey."

"Does he know what is going on? Because your mother was attacked by an alien."

"Mom!" The Pharaoh stood up, his chair rolling backwards. He walked over to Yugi, standing back as the young man began to pace. "Is she alright?"

"I'm alright sweetheart." Yugi breathed a sigh at the sound of his mother's voice, slumping against the nearest chair. The hand that held the phone in trembled a bit, the Pharaoh snatching it up and connecting to the speakers on the table, leaving Yugi to lean against the table, his violet eyes wide. "Joey and I are safe."

Yugi nodded, the Pharaoh looking over at the young man before turning to stare at the phone that was sitting on the table. He stared at the table, his mind racing around before pushing the problems of Ryou Nakamura out of his head. One thing at a time, the first being that signal. Something nagged at him that it was important. "Mutt, I need you to-"

"I not a mutt."

"Fine." The Pharaoh rolled his eyes before leaning over the table, staring at the phone that sat on it as he spoke. "I need you to get onto the computer and search for the UNIT website."

There was a pause, the sound of people scrabbling around coming through the phone and then the sound of tapping keys was heard. The Pharaoh looked over at Yugi, watching the young man wait patiently close by, Ryou and Bakura looking more nervous. His attention was directed back to the phone at the sound of shuffling. "It needs a password."

"Buffalo. That's two f's-" He cut himself off before he could finish the sentence, knowing that insulting his only help would get him nowhere, no matter how much he wanted to. He listened to the click of keys, speaking when Joey had finished. "Now, go up to the icon that's a circle with three circles around it."

"Alright." The sound of beeping filled the room, the Pharaoh pushing away from the table and staring at the ceiling as the pattern of beeps rang out. "What is that?"

"It's a signal."

"From where?"

"The North Sea. Now quiet." The Pharaoh sank back into a chair, steepling his fingers and staring ahead of him as he listened to the pattern. It didn't quite make sense to him yet, realizing that it repeated halfway through. He gave a thoughtful hum before tipping his head back, closing his eyes.

There was a distinct pattern to it, the Pharaoh already running through the possible languages it could be in, translating as quickly as he could and still coming up with nothing. He took a deep breath, pausing at the sound of knocking that came from the phone.

His eyes opened slowly, the Pharaoh leaning forward and staring at the phone as the sound of knocking repeated itself. He turned his head as Yugi raced over to stand beside him, staring at the phone for a second before speaking. "What's going on?"

Muffled speech came through the phone, Yugi shaking his head. "Mom!"

"He's found me! He's found us again!"

"Mom, what's going on?"

"Yugi, he's found us!"

"Mom!" Yugi looked up, panicked as screaming and running came from the phone, stepping back as the Pharaoh tried to reach out for him. He shook his head, glancing at the phone. "That's my _mother_, Pharaoh!"

He hesitated for a moment before nodding, turning back to everyone in the room. "There are five hundred planets within traveling distance that the Slitheen could have come from. If I can figure out where they are from, then we can figure out their weakness."

That got a smile from Yugi, the young man stopping his pacing and slowly lowering his hands from his hair, vaguely wiggling his fingers. "Well…they're green."

The Pharaoh waved them on, already processing the information. Yugi began his pacing again, Ryou and Bakura looking at the two of them in awe. "They have a good sense of smell…good enough to smell adrenaline. And they hunt, like it's a ritual."

"Go on."

Yugi rubbed the back of his neck, spinning around and pointing. "The design of the spaceship and the technology in that pig." He tapped his foot for a second, snapping his fingers as he came up with something else. "The gas exchange, it smells like bad breath. No! Erm...it...it smells like something rotting!"

"Perfect!" The Pharaoh stood up, turning to look at the phone, not really addressing anyone. "Which leaves only one planet; Raxacoricofallapatorious."

There was silence in the room as they all stared at him, the Pharaoh ignoring them as he leaned back over the table. "Get to the kitchen and get anything with vinegar."

"Then what?" The sound of running came over the phone, the Pharaoh rolling his eyes.

"Then throw it at him, mutt!"

* * *

"I am not a mutt!" Joey screamed his reply at the phone as he tore down the hall, Junri already rushing to the kitchen. He looked at the door, hissing when he saw it bow inward, pieces of the door falling off. He backed away, heading back for Junri in the kitchen.

She had a bowl out and was going through the stuff in his fridge. Joey threw the phone onto the counter, reaching for the cabinets and searching through them. He was hyperaware of the sound of the door being beaten down, looking over his shoulder every once and a while.

They both froze as the door was knocked down, Joey walking out of the kitchen and snatching up the bat in the hall and standing as a guard. He could hear yelling from the phone, peeking over his shoulder to see that Junri was leaning over to the phone. "Don't worry, Yugi."

"Hurry up!" Joey snapped over his shoulder, staring at the large green alien that was coming towards them. They had no time for reassurances. He could feel Junri's glare on him, Joey shaking his head and backing up. His initial idea to defend against the alien was beginning to look futile. He had forgotten that the alien was really tall, and probably stronger that he was. Joey hesitated a moment more before moving back into the kitchen.

Junri was holding the bowl of stuff that they had managed to find, Joey suddenly finding the plan worrying. It seemed like it wouldn't be enough. He looked at the creature, finding himself elbowed aside as Junri lunged forward, flinging the contents of the bowl at the creature.

The creature paused, tipping its head to one side to examine its arm before it tried to lunge forward again, suddenly exploding into pieces with a screech. Joey and Junri could only stand there as the pieces fell over them and all over the kitchen, staring at the doorway where the alien had been.

Junri was the first to break out of the state of surprise, rushing over to where the phone was and picking it up, carefully pulling some of the larger pieces of the alien from it. Joey turned to watch her, only now aware of the shouting that was coming from the phone.

"Mom! Joey! What happened? Is everything alright? Please, someone answer!"

"We're alright Yugi. We're alright." Joey heard the sigh of relief that Yugi gave over the line. He walked over to Junri; leaning over the phone so he could hear what Yugi was saying, part of his attention on the television he could just see from the other room. Yugi and his mother began talking to each other, the conversation mostly Junri reassuring her son that they were alright.

He looked down at his clothes, giving a disgusted snort at the smell before wandering out, vaguely wondering if he had anything clean for Junri before scraping the idea. They had much more pressing things to worry about than changing clothes. Joey stared at his television, not comprehending what he was seeing for the first few minutes before motioning Junri in. Joey took the phone from her, walking over to the television before speaking into the phone. "Listen to this."

He held the phone up to the television, watching as the acting mayor stepped out of the city hall, surrounded by police. The man ran a hand over his face before heaving a great sigh and beginning to speak.

"_Ladies and gentlemen, nations of the world, humankind, the greatest experts in extra-terrestrial events came here tonight. They gathered in the common cause, but the news I bring you now is grave indeed. The experts are dead; murdered right in front of me by alien hands. Peoples of the earth, heed my words. These visitors do not come in peace."_ Joey heard an exclamation of surprise and a distant curse in the background, glancing at the phone before turning his attention back to the television.

"_Our inspectors have searched the sky above our heads and they have found massive weapons of destruction, capable of being deployed within forty-five seconds."_

"WHAT?" The scream came through the phone followed by the others in the room telling the person to shut up.

"_Our technicians can baffle the alien probes, but not for long. We are facing extinction unless we strike first. Japan sits directly beneath the belly of the mother ship. I beg of the United Nations, pass an emergency resolution. Give us the access codes. A nuclear strike at the heart of the beast is our only chance of survival. Because, from this moment on… it is my solemn duty to inform you… Planet Earth is at war__.__"_

The phone almost slipped from Joey's grasp, the blonde staring at the television in shock. He felt Junri remove the phone from his hand, turning slowly to look at her as the words of the acting mayor rang in his head.

This couldn't be happening. They couldn't be about to be wiped out this quickly. He had so much that he wanted to do with his life.

"Pharaoh," Junri's soft voice broke him out of his daze, Joey standing up straight and looking at Yugi's mother, "is that true?"

"Of course not." The man snapped, Joey close enough to hear it. He smiled at Junri before putting the phone on speaker, making it easier for the both of them to hear it. "There's nothing that close to Earth right now. They're making it up."

"That's good to know." Junri chewed on her lower lip, Joey recognizing the sign from all the times that he had seen Yugi do that. She was deciding whether or not to ask a question, debating over the phrasing. He swallowed before resting a hand on her shoulder. Junri gave him a thankful smile before turning back to the phone. "Just one more question, Pharaoh. Joey says that he's looked into the records they have of you and that people have died when they travel with you."

Joey heard the sharp inhale from the other end of the line, blinking and wondering who it came from before Junri plowed on. "And you might be fine with this kind of life, but I'm not. I want to know if Yugi will be safe."

"Mom…" Yugi's voice was distant.

"I want to know if he will be safe, if he will always be safe. Can you promise me that?"

* * *

The Pharaoh stared at the phone on the table, his hands tightening over the back of the chair that he was leaning against. He could hear Yugi trying to reassure his mother, but it sounded like it was coming from a distance.

All those people, all of those wonderful, brilliant people who had wanted to come with him; wanted to see the universe. All of those people who had stood with him through thick and thin. All of those people that he couldn't rescue. There were more of those than the people that he could rescue. Would Yugi become one of the ones that he couldn't save?

He looked over at the young man, swallowing as he watched Yugi argue with his mother, putting her off by saying that he was fine and that this was a once in a lifetime chance.

The horrible part was that he could never tell which ones that he could save and which ones that he could not. He could see where he should interfere in time and where he should not, where it was in flux and where it was fixed, but never if the companions he chose would be the ones to stay; never. And that frightened him somewhat.

He stepped away from the chair, staring at Yugi for a moment longer before turning and striding back to the door. He glared at the steel, like it would tell him the answer to his problem. When nothing came up, he resorted to his coping mechanism; he focused at the larger problem at hand.

The Pharaoh reached for the switch that would raise the steel plate that separated them from the Slitheen, listening to the others as they fell silent. His fingers rested against the switch for a moment before he pressed it, the door sliding open to reveal the Slitheen, all of them clothed in their human skins. The Pharaoh glared at them, not removing his hand from the switch as they all turned to see him.

"That crash was just a spectacle; you wanted to get the Earth on red alert so the United Nations would agree to your request."

"What a smart boy you are." The Pharaoh resisted the urge to lash out at that, gritting his teeth before carrying on.

"So you get the codes and fire the missiles at Earth because there's nothing out there." He gestured towards the ceiling with one hand, eyes narrowing. "And you start World War Three, destroying this whole planet."

"Why?" Yugi and Ryou shouted at the question at the same time, the Slitheen looking around the Pharaoh to smile at them.

"For profit." The Pharaoh glared at the Slitheen, realizing what the signal was at last. "You're advertising its sale even now."

"Of course. It's the sale of the century. We reduce the Earth to molten slag, sit out the conflict in our spaceship conveniently parked by the harbor and then sell it, piece by piece. Radioactive chunks, capable of powering every cut-price star-liner and budget cargo ship." The Slitheen smirked at him. "There's a recession up there, Pharaoh. People are buying cheap. This rock becomes raw fuel."

"At the cost of six billion people." And Yugi. His mind added the last part without his permission, the one hand that was not resting over the switch twitching with the thought.

The Slitheen scoffed, shaking her head. "Bargain."

"Then I'll stop you."

That made the Slitheen laugh, the Pharaoh watching them impartially as they attempted to gather themselves together. Finally, their leader stood up, the woman wiping tears from her eyes. "You? In your box?"

"Yes, me." The Pharaoh flipped the switch, the steel doors slamming shut, but he had enough time to see the worried look on the Slitheen's faces as he walked back into the room.


	18. Plans Gone Awry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter Seventeen: Plans Gone Awry**

**Chapter Seventeen: Plans Gone Awry**

"_I could save the world but lose you."_

_-The Doctor_

Yugi looked at him, offering a small smile. The Pharaoh forced himself not to pause at the look, going back to leaning on the chair and staring at the phone. He could hear the muttering of the humans in the room, the two choices he had rolling endlessly around his head. The Pharaoh sighed and rubbed his eyes, not liking the decision he was forced to come to.

"There has to be something that we can do." Junri spoke up over the phone, the Pharaoh looking up at that, swallowing before leaning forward.

"There is. There always was."

Yugi perked up, walking over and smiling at him, the Pharaoh having to look away at the expression. "That's great. So what's the plan?"

"The Slitheen are all here." The Pharaoh shrugged. "There has always been a way to get us out of here as well."

"Then why haven't we used it?" Bakura glared at the Pharaoh, leaning back in his seat with a wince and massaging his throat. "I for one would rather be home than stuck in this box. For God's sake, get us out of here."

The Pharaoh pulled out the chair he was leaning on, nearly collapsing into the seat. He was hyperaware of Yugi hovering close by, refusing to look at the young man. Instead, he directed his gaze at the phone, carefully considering his words before speaking. "Because I can't promise that your son will be safe."

"Then don't!" Junri nearly screamed the words, the Pharaoh dropping his head into his hands. He didn't want to be the one making this decision, because it was a horrible one. It was the world or Yugi…and he had already destroyed his home planet, he didn't want his second home to go the same way.

"Do it." The Pharaoh looked up at Yugi spoke, staring at the human as he gave a slow nod.

"Just like that?" The Pharaoh leaned back, staring at Yugi. "You don't even know what I want to do and you trust me, just like that?"

Yugi nodded, both of them looking at the phone as Junri shouted over the line again. "No! He's the only family I have left, Pharaoh! Please, don't take him away from me!"

"That's the choice, Junri. If I don't do this than everyone dies."

"What are you waiting for?" The Pharaoh looked up at Yugi, his throat suddenly dry as the watched the young man cross his arms. Yugi just trusted him; that trust making him nervous and ecstatic at the same time. But he just couldn't bring himself to answer Yugi's question, even though there was an answer, because it would break everything that he had worked to build. His apathy, the shields around him, the scathing sense of humor that kept most away.

He didn't want to do this, especially if it would harm Yugi. It was the one thing above all that he was beginning to fear, losing Yugi. The Pharaoh let his head drop back into his hands, pondering the decision over again. He knew that there was nothing he had missed, this was the only way.

"Well…it's not your decision. It's mine." The Pharaoh looked up at Ryou, surprised by the outburst of the usually quiet man. "I'm the only government official in this room, so it's my call. And I order you to do it."

Relief flooded him as someone took the weight off his shoulders. He could listen to Ryou because what he had said was true. He could switch the blame to someone else. He already carried more than nine hundred years of blame on his shoulders, he didn't want anymore.

Pushed forward by this thought, the Pharaoh leaned forward and spoke into the phone. "Log onto the Navy's website, use the password 'buffalo'."

The sound of typing came over the phone, the Pharaoh relaxing as his orders were obeyed. For a moment, he had thought that they wouldn't listen to him. After all, this was a sure way to get Yugi killed, but the destruction of the Earth would kill him as well.

"Alright, now what?"

"Look for the submarines that are out patrolling right now and select a missile." The Pharaoh closed his eyes for a moment, considering his choices before opening his eyes again. "Get a harpoon class missile and aim it for the city hall."

He heard Junri gasp and a lull in the typing before it started back up again. The Pharaoh looked over at Yugi, amazed that the young man could be so calm. Ryou had begun to pace while Bakura had reached for the port, saluting the Pharaoh with the decanter before starting to drink. And the Pharaoh couldn't blame him.

"Done." The Pharaoh looked back at the phone, taking a deep breath as he stood up.

"The world is in your hands, fire…unless you're scared, mutt."

Silence fell over the room, the Pharaoh highly aware of the sound of breathing. Finally, Joey spoke up, his voice shaking. "I'm not a mutt."

The Pharaoh gave a half smile, the human had done it. Right now there was a missile speeding to their location and it would take out the Slitheen. All that was left was to prepare for the inevitable.

"Alright." He looked up as Yugi began to pace across the room, opening the door to the small closet that they had. "My turn now and I don't intend to die here. They always told us to stand in doorways for earthquakes; maybe this thing will protect us. It's small enough."

"I'm up for anything that doesn't end up with me dead." Bakura stood up, reluctantly leaving the alcohol on the table before dragging Ryou into the closet. Yugi stood to one side to allow them to pass before looking up at the Pharaoh.

"Well, will this work?"

"It could." The Pharaoh stood up slowly, walking over to the closet and staring at it. There was barely enough space for the four of them. He tapped on a wall, tipping his head slightly to the side as he listened. It was like a small steel box, almost separate from the rest of the council room. A smile lit up his face. "It definitely could."

Yugi shoved him in, the Pharaoh looking at his companion in surprise. The young man just smiled back and shut the door, pulling him onto the ground and keeping their hands linked. "Here goes nothing."

* * *

The Slitheen gathered in the mayor's office, bare of their human disguises. The one that had been masquerading as Joseph Brown stared at the television. The national government would be the ones to release the missiles, but they would still hear of the announcement. He glared at the family that had gathered with him, hating the cramped quarters. Why were humans so small?

His head whipped back around to stare at the television as the reporter spoke, slowly relaying the news at it came to her. _"The United Nations has released the codes."_

A cheer came from the Slitheen, all of them looking at each other before making to move away. It would just be a brisk walk down to their spaceship, where they could easily fly to the capital and orchestrate the firing of the missiles to their correct target.

They were just beginning to move when a police man rushed in, the door pulled open as the man spoke quickly. "Sir, a missile is coming this way and we-" The man looked around the room, his eyes bulging as he realized what he was looking at. He flinched and began to shut the door. "Sorry."

The Slitheen heard him running down the hall, shouting for everyone to get out, and they exchanged glances of equal horror. One of their number hissed out a name before rushing for the pile of skins that were waiting for them. "Pharaoh."

There was a mad scramble for the skins, the Slitheen leader getting a glimpse of blue out of the corner of his eye, turning to see what had caused it. He was suddenly aware that their number was suddenly one less. He turned to figure out who had left and how when the missile plowed into the building, the Slitheen having a moment of clarity before he died. Long enough to curse the person who had stopped them.

* * *

Ryou grunted as someone's elbow was pushed into his side, someone else landing on top of him. He was pushed back against the wall before thrown end over end. He was forever hit and spun, the interim lasting for an eternity until there was sudden stillness, Ryou holding his breath and praying that he was not dead.

He felt someone move, standing up and reaching for sometime. He hissed as light suddenly flooded in, Ryou blinking quickly to get the spots out of his vision. He had a moment to assess the situation. The Pharaoh was standing up, opening the door of the closet that had saved their lives, Yugi crammed into the nearest corner. Ryou had managed to be thrown under a shelf with Bakura face down on his lap. Ryou blushed at that and shoved the secretary off, quickly moving out from under the shelf and standing up.

The Pharaoh was the first out, his height making it easy for him to step down. Ryou boosted Yugi up next before helping Bakura up, the secretary turning around to help him out of the closet. Ryou stood up on the steel box, looking down at the Pharaoh lowered Yugi to the ground, the young man blushing as he was let go. Ryou laughed and hopped down himself, only then getting a good look at what had happened.

The entire town hall had been destroyed, reduced to rubble that was strewn all over the street. Ryou gasped and looked around, mentally searching for new jobs already. There was no way that his lowly position in government would be kept after this kind of destruction. He paused at that thought, running his hands through his hair.

They didn't have a mayor anymore and the city would be gridlocked, maybe even sealed off, until the scare had stopped, which may take months. The government couldn't run. He groaned, shaking his head. "Who's going to take care of this mess?"

"Maybe you can."

He looked behind him, staring at the Pharaoh before looking at the mess. The man had a point. He could be the one to fix all of this. But who would listen to him. He was just a minor official…But he was the only one here.

Ryou jumped as Bakura slid his hand into Ryou's, immediately beginning to walk towards the officers that were beginning to mill about. The man blinked before looking over at Bakura, a smile crossing his face. He walked quickly, turning the tables so that he was leading Bakura, calling to get their attention. "Hey, you there!"

The officer turned around, surprised to see people coming from the rubble. Ryou let go of Bakura's hand, crossing his arms over his chest so the officer couldn't see his hands trembling. "We need to cordon off this area and then bring in some type of construction equipment."

The officer nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Also, either report into me or Bakura. We'll be overseeing this." The officer nodded before going off to gather people. Ryou looked back as the Pharaoh and Yugi began walking away, waving at them before focusing on the matter at hand, uncrossing his arms. He was surprised when Bakura grabbed his hand again, sticking close as they made their way through the debris.

Neither of them heard the Pharaoh give a short laugh as he and Yugi walked away. "Now I know who he is. Ryou Nakamura, mayor of Domino City, probably the best they've had in years."

* * *

Yugi relaxed into his chair, rubbing his forehead. Even after his nap on the TARDIS earlier he was exhausted again. He sighed and curled up in the chair, tempted to fall asleep again. He started awake as his mother came in. She gave him an apologetic smile before walking over to the sofa and using the remote to turn off the television that Yugi hadn't been paying attention to. He smiled at her, smothering a yawn.

"Well…" Junri sighed and shrugged, looking at him as she curled up on the chair. "I guess that the Pharaoh will be sticking around since…"

Yugi perked up, raising an eyebrow as his mother trailed off. He knew that his mother was censoring herself, nineteen years of living in the same house together made it easy for him to read her. He sat up, refusing to uncurl. "Since what?"

"Since you're obviously infatuated with him."

Yugi stared at her, shaking his head. "I'm not infatuated with him."

His mother gave him a look, a look that he knew very well. It was the same one that she had given him when he had protested that he didn't like that one girl from the first grade or when he said that he didn't like Miho. It was the look that was all knowing, the look that was usually right.

But this time Yugi knew better. His mother wasn't right on this. He wasn't in love with the Pharaoh; they were just now skirting the line of friendship. They worked well together, like the way he and Joey had worked before, and that was all. Yugi stuck close to the Pharaoh because, even after two official 'adventures' he knew that the safest place was with the expert, and the Pharaoh always came out on top.

It was just survival and nothing more.

Junri shook her head, absently twirling her hair as she stared at the wall. "I was thinking about cooking for the three of us."

"Three?"

"Yes, you, me and the Pharaoh." She looked back at him, Yugi finding her stare a bit unnerving. "Because I'm ready to listen to where you went, no matter how crazy you think it is, I'll try to understand."

Yugi swallowed and nodded, not sure what to make of this. His mother got up from the sofa and walked into the kitchen, Yugi following her with his eyes. His gaze landed on the photograph of him that had been put next to his grandfather's, in the place he had always though reserved for dead relatives; although, his grandfather's picture was the only one that had ever inhabited that shelf.

He hated leaving his mother but, once he had seen some of the things out there, it was like he developed wanderlust. He itched to be out there again. But still something tugged at his mind to keep him here. After all, Yugi had spent most of his life taking care of his mother and vice versa. Why break up such a beautiful partnership now?

But he couldn't just _forget_ about everything he had seen. And he wanted to see more. And there was so much more to seen.

Yugi tapped his fingers against his jeans, staring at the sun that was coming in through the windows. He was so deep in thought that he almost didn't feel his phone vibrate in his pocket, jumping before opening it up and looking at the caller ID. His eyes widened as it showed that the TARDIS was calling. He raised the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"Finally he answers." Yugi had to hold back a laugh at the Pharaoh's irritated voice, knowing that it was faked. "Listen, we're about ready to go so get your stuff and get down here. I have to wait a bit for the mutt to finish scrubbing some graffiti off the TARDIS."

"My mother is cooking…for us."

Yugi flinched as he heard the Pharaoh stop moving around in the TARDIS, almost able to imagine the glare that he was giving a column. "I don't do that."

"She just wants to get to know you. It's a mother thing. You're the one I'm running around with!"

"Yugi…"He heard the Pharaoh sigh. "Either show up down here or not, your choice. But I don't do the domestic thing."

The Pharaoh hung up, leaving Yugi staring at the phone. He hung up, biting his bottom lip before looking back out the window. He tapped the phone against his leg for a moment before standing up and sticking it back in his pocket, feeling the key that he still wore under his shirt move, slightly colder than his skin.

He walked into his room and pulled out a duffel back, opening his drawers and shoving clothes into the bag as well as some things he could never leave behind. Yugi hesitated over a picture of his mother and grandfather before shoving that into the duffel bag as well, carefully picking up the deck his grandfather had used for dueling, something that Yugi had done on and off as well, before slipping it into a side pocket. He glanced around the room, absently stuffing the clothes deeper into the bag to make everything fit.

Yugi rushed over to his closet, grabbing a few winter things, tossing them in the direction of his bed before running back over, closing his dresser drawers. He reached over to his bed, picking up the plushies that were there, gifts that his grandfather had given to him during his short time living with him. He turned them over in his hands, carefully packing them into his bag. The Dark Magician, Blue Eyes-White Dragon and Kuriboh, all very precious to him, so precious that he had their cards in his deck.

He reached for the zipper, struggling for a minute before the duffel bag began to zip closed. Yugi smiled, pulling the zipper all the way across before bracing himself on either side of his bag, giving it a gentle pet before turning around, one hand on the handles. That hand dropped away as he saw that his mother was standing in the doorway, holding onto it like it was her last lifeline. Part of him wondered how long she had been standing there.

"Don't go, Yugi." Junri shook her head, not crossing the threshold into the room. "Please, stay here where it's safe."

Yugi stared at his mother for a long moment before walking over and hugging her, unable to say anything else. Nothing he could say would make her feel better about why he was leaving because she would just blame it all on herself. He pulled away with a strained smile, walking back over to the bed and picking up his duffle bag.

He walked out of the apartment, aware that his mother was following him. Yugi swallowed and adjusted his hold on his bag, using one hand to draw the key to the TARDIS out of his shirt, playing with it to keep him from looking back. If he looked then he would never get anywhere. He would always be stuck here and wondering what would have happened if he had gone with the man in the blue box.

Yugi pushed open the door to the lot, eyes immediately going to the TARDIS. He picked up the pack, smiling as he noticed that the Pharaoh was leaning against the blue box. The Time Lord turned to look at him, Yugi looking away for a moment to watch Joey walk out of the shadows, looking angry. He should have known better than to leave them alone together.

He smirked as he walked up to the Pharaoh, placing his bag on the ground, pointing at it. "This means you're stuck with me. Ha!"

The Pharaoh just rolled his eyes, staring at the bag before raising an eyebrow. "Aren't you forgetting the kitchen sink?"

"I travel light." Yugi shook his finger at the Pharaoh before being tackled by Joey and pulled into a hug.

"Keep yourself alive, bud. I don't want you to get hurt." Yugi laughed, trying to get out of the headlock/hug combination. "And make sure that he watches out for you."

"Promise, Joey."

"Stop slobbering over him, mutt."

Yugi was dropped back to the ground, laughing as Joey glared at the Pharaoh. "I am not a dog!"

The Pharaoh rolled his eyes, picking up Yugi's back and sticking it in the TARDIS. Yugi gave Joey a hug before walking over to the TARDIS, only to be stopped by his mother. Junri hung onto his arm, her eyes watering. "Yugi…"

"Mom," he smiled and took a step back before hugging her, "I'll be fine. We look after each other."

"That's not enough."

"I'll call you, I promise." Yugi pulled away from Junri, gesturing at the TARDIS as he backed up. "It's a _time machine_ Mom. I can go and be back in ten seconds."

Junri nodded and gave him a sad smile, Yugi returning the smile before stepping into the TARDIS and closing the doors, resting his head against the wood as the listened to the Pharaoh move around the console, waiting out the initial jerky movement of the TARDIS as it moved into the time vortex. When it smoothed out, Yugi counted to ten before reaching down to pick up his bag.

His mother would have waited for him, and probably been disappointed. But this was always going to happen, he would have eventually have left her for his own life. It would have probably never happened like this.

Yugi sighed and walked back towards the doorway that led into the depths of the TARDIS, smiling as the lights came on to lead him to the room that he had chosen. He followed them, opening the door into the room and looking around. Already it felt like home, and that surprised him.

Chuckling, Yugi unzipped his duffel back, carefully placing the picture of his mother and grandfather on the bedside table that appeared, reaching inside the side pocket for his grandfather's deck. The three gifts from his grandfather were placed on the bed, Yugi focusing on unpacking the clothes he had brought with him, turning around to stare at the dresser that had appeared. He reached out to pat the TARDIS before finishing his unpacking, rubbing his stomach as it grumbled.

Yugi peeked out into the corridor, unsurprised to see the lights leading to another open door. He rested a hand on the wall. "You're going to take good care of me, aren't you girl?"

He felt a faint vibration under his hand, patting the TARDIS lovingly before heading for the kitchen. He looked around the modern kitchen, heading for the refrigerator and rooting around in it. He came up empty before going to the cabinets, staring at the few packets in front of him before shaking his head. Since there was nothing else, packaged ramen would have to do.

He followed the instructions on the packet, puttering around the kitchen while mentally making a list of the things that they would need. He sighed and sat down at the booth-like table, poking at the ramen before beginning to eat it. It wasn't the best, but it was better than an empty stomach.

There was no sound in the kitchen except for the sound of him eating, so Yugi jumped when someone spoke. "I'm guessing that we might need for food."

He turned around in his seat, waving at the Pharaoh before going back to his food. The Time Lord walked over to him, sliding into the seat across from him and staring in the direction of the refrigerator. "It's been a while since I've had to feed someone other than myself." He scratched his neck before sighing. "We'll figure something out."

"You have enough ramen to last me for about three weeks." Yugi leaned forward, one eyebrow rising. "I doubt we can find trouble every day for three weeks."

"You don't know me then." The Pharaoh smirked as Yugi stood up, walking over to the sink and placing the dishes in there. He made a mental note to get to them later, walking back to his room.

He wasn't surprised that the Pharaoh followed him, shrugging before stuffing his duffel bag into the closet. He turned around, finding the Pharaoh staring at the stuffed toys that were on his bed, especially the Blue-Eyes. Yugi tipped his head to the side, walking over and sitting on his bed. The Pharaoh hesitantly sat on the edge of the bed, lunging for the Blue-Eyes when it began to tumble off the bed. Yugi laughed, leaning back at staring at the Time Lord. "She likes you."

The Pharaoh gave a nervous laugh before shaking his head, Yugi noticing that he didn't remove his hand from the toy. He smiled and leaned back in the bed, his earlier exhaustion forgotten. "So, where are we going?"

"A quick hop into the future and then off to get the food for the complaining human."

Yugi laughed, the sound cut off by a soft alarm. He stiffened in place, watching the Pharaoh get up. "What's that?"

"Stay here." Yugi frowned at the Time Lord as he walked away. He snorted and stood up, realizing that he had worn the same clothes for days. He glanced at the shower before shaking his head, stripping off his shirt and pulling on a new one, just for his own mental health. He could take a shower later, right now, there were things going on.

He rushed down the hall to the console room, grabbing onto the doorframe as the TARDIS rocked. When he had gained his balance, he looked up at the Pharaoh, the Time Lord not surprised to see him there. Yugi stumbled over to the console, wincing as he was thrown roughly against it. "What's going on?"

"The TARDIS picked up a distress signal. She's locked on and we're heading there now."

Yugi nodded and grimly clung to the console. There was no argument about the change in plans, he was already settling into this lifestyle.


	19. Dalek

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Author's Note:** Just a little word about the Dalek speech and the way it is typed out. I basically took the way a Dalek would speak and put that down here. I used this pattern for the entire story. If it is too confusing or distracting, let me know and I won't use it next time but, please, just let it go for now. Thanks. :)

**Author's Note:** Just a little word about the Dalek speech and the way it is typed out. I basically took the way a Dalek would speak and put that down here. I used this pattern for the entire story. If it is too confusing or distracting, let me know and I won't use it next time but, please, just let it go for now. Thanks. :)

**Chapter Eighteen: Dalek **

"_The stuff of nightmares reduced to an exhibit . . . I'm getting old."_

_-The Doctor_

The TARDIS materialized, the Pharaoh only taking long enough to glance at where they were before he walked to the doors, opening them and stepping out. He forced himself to keep control, managing to keep his mouth from falling open as he looked around.

The ceiling was high here, rising up to accommodate the large banners that hung down from it. The Pharaoh took a step back, looking at the glass cases that lined the walls, taking a moment to realize that they were filled with something. He walked forward, aware that Yugi was moving out of the TARDIS behind him. He barely glanced at the green arm in a case, his eyes roaming over the other things.

"Is that the arm of a Slitheen?" He nodded absently to Yugi's question, pointing at another case.

"Roswell Milometer." He turned around, his hand falling back to his side as he walked up to the case that was right behind him. On a stand was a metal helmet, the features on it almost human, just a mouth and two grates for where the eyes would be. Two rectangular pieces were where the ears were, tubing rising from each of them and connecting above the head.

If this was in here, then he was older than he thought.

"Is that the thing making the signal?"

The Pharaoh shook his head, taking a step closer to stare at the familiar headpiece. How long had it been since he had seen this? And now, it was just sitting there. The stuff of nightmares just captured. He reached out, his hand hesitating over the glass. "No. This is dead."

He touched the glass, jerking his hand back when an alarm sounded. He turned, eyes widening as he saw people come running out of the shadows. The Pharaoh looked down as Yugi elbowed his side, the young man raising his hands in surrender as the men with guns surrounded them. "Nice going."

The Pharaoh glared at him, reluctantly holding up his hands in surrender too. There was nothing he could do against men with guns, at least, not now. He still had to find what was sending out that distress signal. And there was a good chance that these men would take them directly to it. He waited patiently, listening as the person who had to be the leader talked, receiving orders. A nudge to his side brought his attention to Yugi, looking down at the human even as Yugi looked around. "Where are we?"

"Utah, the United States of America in 2012." The Pharaoh glanced up at the ceiling before shaking his head. "We're underground."

Yugi looked like he was about to say something when the soldiers finished getting their orders. The young man shook his head, obviously meaning to talk to the Pharaoh later. They were motioned to start walking, the Pharaoh immediately dropping his hands and Yugi following suit. The two walked easily within the soldiers, their obvious nonchalance putting the soldiers off their stride.

"We'll be taking you to Mr. Van Statten. You can explain to him how you got down here." The Pharaoh rolled his eyes, not bothering to care if the soldiers saw it. He looked over at Yugi, about to speak to his companion when an announcement came over the intercom, Yugi stiffening as he listened.

"Dark Game One has landed." The Pharaoh turned to look at the soldiers, almost ready to demand an explanation when he and Yugi were shoved into an elevator, the Pharaoh landing braced over Yugi.

For one second his mouth went dry, the Pharaoh finding himself staring at Yugi before pushing himself away to stand against the wall. Why did he keep reacting like this around Yugi? It had started ever since the end of their misadventure on Platform One. He would fluctuate between a normal friendly conversation and then start edging towards something else; the implications of the something else scaring him.

His gaze moved towards the door of the elevator before moving over their captors. He was still prepared for the worse, and he was sure that Yugi was ready to run with him if things got out of hand. He was proud of his choice of companion this time around, even if he was often confused how to act around Yugi.

The doors of the elevator slid open, the soldiers pushing them out and into a corridor. The Pharaoh barely had time to look at the expensive furnishings before he was shoved into an office, glancing around at the wood paneling before a balding black haired man walked in, glaring at them as he sat down. He gave them a glance before pointing. "Who are these two?"

"We found them near the Cage." The man's eyebrow rose, giving them a long look over before leaning back, that being the obvious sign for the soldier to continue. "We don't know how they could have got in here as-"

The sound of someone stumbling into the room cut the soldier off, everyone present turning to watch as a blonde man with glasses stumbled into the room, carrying a box. The man behind the desk, who the Pharaoh assumed to the Van Statten, sat up quickly. He stared at the box of things before looking up at the man. "What do you have for me this time, Tomoya?"

Tomoya smiled and pulled out one item carefully, the Pharaoh looking on with interest as the ribbed object was passed over, Van Statten. Tomoya walked over to the desk, leaning on it as he talked. "That's the only whole piece that I have. The others had to be split into parts for travel."

"What is it?"

"I don't know." Tomoya tipped his head to one side, a vague smile on his face. "But I have theories."

The Pharaoh rolled his eyes, annoyed by the foolishness. "Don't hold it like that."

Van Statten looked up, worry in his eyes. "Is it dangerous?"

"No, you just look stupid." He held out his hand, Van Statten hesitating before handing the object over. The Pharaoh shifted his grip on it, lightly resting his fingers over the ribs of the object, a smile crossing his face as he stroked them gently, the object producing a beautiful note with each light touch.

Tomoya leaned forward, gasping. "It's a musical instrument!"

"Can I?" The Pharaoh looked at Yugi, smiling before passing the object over to the human. Yugi cradled it in one hand before lightly touching the ribs, a smile crossing his face before he began to pick out a tune. Yugi shook his head and gently placed it back on Van Statten's desk, the man resting one finger on a rib to draw out a note before carelessly shoving the object off the desk.

Yugi went to go after it, stopped by one of the soldiers. The Pharaoh turned to glare at Van Statten, irritated that the man ignored the glare, just leaning forward and looking at the two of them. "So, you're a bit of an expert on these things."

"Just a bit." The Pharaoh shot the comment back, crossing his arms over his chest. He blinked as Van Statten's eyes narrowed, the man staring at him. He felt as if he had miscalculated a bit, but he wasn't going to back down at this moment.

"So am I, which is why I created this place. Just my little place in the stars." Van Statten smiled, the expression lasting a moment before it disappeared. He leaned forward, making the Pharaoh's glare. "So, I wonder what you were doing so close to the Cage, the place that contains my one living specimen. Were you trying to steal it?"

"Living?"

"Yes, my pride and joy." Van Statten's daze darted over to Yugi for a moment, the Pharaoh stiffening as the man gave Yugi a quick look over, resisting the urge to step in front of his companion. Van Statten smirked and looked back at him. "You seem to be a bit of a collector too, especially with that one."

"Hey!"

Van Statten laughed and sat back. "Oh, it can think for itself! You would think that all the dye would have damaged his brain. And is that a Japanese accent I hear?" Van Statten laughed, Yugi fuming from where he stood next to the Pharaoh. "Oh then you and Tomoya will get along great! You two can go and do whatever it is you Japanese do. Go and draw porn or something."

He stood up, motioning a few of the soldiers to follow him while the others filed out. The Pharaoh shook his head, motioning for Yugi to come with him, only to be stopped by Van Statten. "Only you. He's not allowed to come."

"Go on." Yugi spat at the words, walking over to Tomoya and standing by the man, leaning against the desk as he glared at Van Statten. "I _obviously_ have more important things to do."

Before the Pharaoh had a chance to protest, they were pushed into the elevator and were heading down to the level that he and Yugi had been found on. The three soldiers were the first out and walked ahead of them, Van Statten staying behind with the Pharaoh to brag about his live specimen.

"It's been around for years. One of my people found it at an auction. Apparently, it crashed on some island before going through private collections." Van Statten waited for praise, something that the Pharaoh was not going to give him.

How dare the man insult Yugi like that? _He_ was the only one allowed to do that to Yugi, because the human understood that the never meant it because he and Yugi were friends, in their own weird way. The Pharaoh glared at Van Statten, the man getting the hint and walking toward the large doors that guarded the Cage, waving at a man in a rubber suit. "Simmons, has it talked?"

"I've been working on it, but nothing." The man shrugged, Van Statten uttering a low curse before glaring at the next set of doors, the doors that the Pharaoh assumed were between them and the creature.

"We've been trying to get it to speak, but it doesn't want to." Van Statten gestured at a screen, the Pharaoh scoffing when he saw that the lights on the creature were off. He rolled his eyes and walked over to the door.

"I want to see it."

"Be my guest." The sudden acceptance startled him, but the Pharaoh easily brushed it aside. Van Statten would probably be watching him the entire time he was in there. The Pharaoh rolled his eyes and walked into the room as soon as the door had opened, deciding he didn't care what the man did.

They had come here because something was sending a distress signal and this creature was the best bet for it, the only living creature in a museum of dead things. He sighed and shook his head, the sooner they were out of here, the better. He didn't want to deal with that American any longer.

The Pharaoh wandered over to the only lighted section of the room, scowling as he looked at all the tools that were there, obviously the ones mostly used. They all looked like torture implements to his mind. He flinched, shooting a glare at the door. How dare they torture a living creature just to hear it talk? He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, turning to look at the darkness where he guess that the creature was, the only clue of its existence a blue light at about chest height.

"Listen, those people out there are idiots." There was no response, the Pharaoh tipping his head to the side before taking a step forward. "Look, I'm here to help. I'm the Pharaoh."

"Pha-raoh." The Pharaoh paused, his eyes going wide as he watched two lights above the blue light flash as the creature spoke, his hearts beating in double time. He tried to speak, having to swallow as his throat went dry, frozen in place.

He must have heard the thing wrong, seen things wrong. There was no way those lights and that voice could exist anymore. He had made sure of that.

"_The_ Pha-raoh!" His hand landed on the switch for the lights, frantically turning them on so he could continue lying to himself.

The lights flickered on, revealing a bronze creature, its domed head topped with the two white lights that he had seen flashing earlier. From the front of the dome was an eyestalk, ending in a blue light that served at its eye. The creature's metal casing went all the way down to the floor, bronze spheres on the skirt of the creature's casing. Instead of arms it had a plunger on the left and what looked like a whisk on the right.

It was a creature of nightmares.

"EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!"

The Pharaoh lunged for the door, pounding on it at the familiar cry. He was close to tears from fear, his mind replaying scenes from the Time War, the sound of that battle cry before the sound of screams, always screams as they killed his people. "Let me out!"

He flinched as he heard the mechanisms of the creature, turning his head to look with wide blue eyes at the creature at it turned towards him. The door wouldn't open; they weren't going to let him out. The Pharaoh leaned on the door, sure that if he pushed away he would fall over.

"YOU. ARE. AN ENEMY OF THE DA-LEKS!" The Pharaoh backed away from the door, holding onto the wall and trying to get as far away from the creature as he could. "YOU. MUST. BE DES-TROYED!"

His eyes glanced down at the weapon's stalk, the whisk twitching as it was aimed at him. Any moment now, he would be blasted, a shot directly to his hearts that would stop them and kill him. He had lived this long, survived the time war, only to be killed underground by a lone Dalek.

The Pharaoh felt something press against his back, gasping as he realized that he couldn't back up any further. He tried to swallow as the weapons stalk twitched his way again.

It was then that he realized that he should have been dead by now. He took a shaky breath, a smile crossing his face when he realized that he was still alive, and that the Dalek couldn't fire at him. The Pharaoh pushed away from the wall with a sigh of relief, laughter bubbling up as he realized that he had just avoided death.

The Pharaoh just laughed as he realized that there was nothing that the Dalek _could_ do. The casing was torn and broken in places, the Dalek closer to falling apart. He hadn't noticed it because of his fear of the creature. But it meant that he was safe.

He glared the next moment, rushing up to the Dalek as the creature quickly backpedaled. "Keep back!"

"Why should I? What are you going to do to me?" The Pharaoh leered at the creature before beginning to circle around it, suddenly high off the rush of power that he had. The Dalek couldn't kill him; it couldn't do anything to him! He gave a short bark of laughter, watching the Dalek try to keep him in view. "Why are you here?"

"I am. Wai-ting. For or-ders." The Pharaoh's step hesitated, staring at the Dalek. It seemed to be angered by this, wiggling a bit in place and continuing. "I am. A. Sol-dier. I. Was. Bred. To. Re-cieve. Or-ders."

It meant the Time War. The Pharaoh scoffed and took a step back, walking back to the front of the Dalek and staring into the eyestalk, glad when it backed off, apparently a little intimidated. "They're not coming."

"I. DE-MAND. OR-DERS!"

"They're not coming!" The Pharaoh gave another laugh, taking a step forward and making the Dalek roll backwards again, straining against the chains that held it. "Your race is dead! Burnt!"

"YOU. LIE!"

"I _made_ it happen." The Pharaoh glared at the Dalek before stepping away, sure that the creature believed him. It was incapable of lying.

"You. Des-troyed us?"

The Pharaoh nodded, not trusting his voice, turning away from the Dalek. He didn't want to see the creature any longer. He didn't want to look at the reminder of why he was homeless, why there was no Gallifrey to go back to.

"And. What of. The Ti-me Lords?"

His eyes strayed to one lever, glancing back at the Dalek as he walked over to it, now looking over the torture tools. The Dalek deserved the torture it was getting; it deserved everything because it had taken everything. He couldn't show that this weakened him, especially not in front of _that_ creature. "Dead."

"Then. I am. A-lone." The Pharaoh scoffed, wanting to laugh at the sound of the Dalek's voice grating out those words. It would have sounded sorrowful, if the creature had any emotion left. "So. Are. You."

He froze, turning his head to glare at the creature. It was smart. It should know to stop talking now. The Pharaoh didn't want this reminder. He had been doing so well until this point. He had almost gotten over parts of it, some of the things he had done earlier in the war. He was never going to recover completely, but there was still something.

"We. Are. The same."

He spun around at that, forcing himself not to lunge at the Dalek. It would do nothing. Killing his one Dalek would not bring Gallifrey back. It wouldn't bring anyone back. The Pharaoh closed his eyes for a moment and sighed, opening them slowly, his original retort dying on his tongue. The Pharaoh smiled, leaning back on the table. "Maybe we are the same. And I know exactly what to do with you."

The Dalek turned towards the Pharaoh, the two of them staring at each other. The tableau held until the Pharaoh's smile turned slightly insane, the Dalek the only one to see the change. His blue eyes sparkled with new light as he leaned back, one hand wrapping around the lever. "Exterminate."

Electricity surged through the Dalek, the Pharaoh drawing away to look at the lever, realizing that it could go to a higher level. He glanced up at the Dalek, hesitating between letting the creature die like this or getting it done quickly. He wanted the Dalek to _suffer_. Its kind had destroyed his people, his home. Why should he give it a quick death?

"Have. Mer-"

"No!" The Pharaoh pushed the lever until it was resting flat against the table, turning around to watch as the Dalek rocked back against its chains, screaming as electricity ran through it. For a moment, he was the most powerful creature in the universe, the one who could control everything. He was standing in the TARDIS and watching all of them burn and, this time, he didn't mind. In fact, he felt _good._

"Turn that thing off!" The Pharaoh was abruptly thrown back to the present as soldiers grabbed him and began dragging him out of the room. He struggled against him, nearly snarling as the man in the rubber suit ran and quickly shut off the electricity, glaring at Van Statten as he walked over to the Dalek.

"Speak! I heard you before!" The Dalek didn't answer, Van Statten turning to glare back at the Pharaoh before motioning for Simmons to come back into the room. "Make it talk again. Tell me everything it says."

"No! You have to kill it." The Pharaoh struggled, narrowing his eyes and glaring at the soldiers as they dragged him from the Cage and into the hallway, Van Statten trailing after them. The Pharaoh was too busy with the humans that held him to focus on Van Statten, missing the thoughtful look that was on the man's face.

He grunted as he was thrown into the elevator, rubbing his shoulder before standing upright, absently fixing his coat before staring in front of him. The distress signal must have come from the Dalek. He was an idiot for not looking closer at the type of signal.

It was time for a new plan. First, he would get Yugi back into the TARDIS with strict orders not to come out and set the TARDIS ready to take Yugi back to his own time if things got out of control. Then he would go and destroy that Dalek. He had to rid the world of it before something horrible happened.

He was snapped out of his thoughts as Van Statten began to talk. "So, you talked about a war?"

"Time War."

"And you survived." The Pharaoh looked at Van Statten as the man spoke, not sure what he was going for. He realized he shouldn't have spoken so much about the Time War, but the human couldn't possibly understand. So what was Van Statten angling for? "And that makes you the last of your kind, Pharaoh."

The Pharaoh's eyes widened, glancing at the lights that displayed what floor they were on. They had gone past the level where Van Statten's office was. He reached for his sonic screwdriver and lunged forward, the two soldiers leaping on him forcing him back against the wall of the elevator. He grunted and tried to push them off, flinching as they began to twist his arms behind his back, forcing him forward a step.

At that moment, the elevator door opened, the Pharaoh being shoved out. He fought against the hold on him, glaring at Van Statten's back and cursing the man in his head. He should have been able to see this coming, or at least stopped it. Instead, he had been in too much shock to do anything.

Van Statten led them into a concrete room, the Pharaoh looking warily at the technicians dressed in white that were walking around the room, his gaze drawn to the grate rectangle, shuddering as he looked at it. His attention was drawn back to Van Statten as he rubbed his hands together. "It's been a while since I've had a new living specimen."

The Pharaoh was about to growl that he was more than just a specimen when some more soldiers that had been hanging out in the shadows walked over. Van Statten gave a lazy wave of his hand, going over to turn on a machine that looked scarily similar to a gun. His attention was turned back to the soldiers as they began removing his long white coat, the Pharaoh trying to break free. He was rewarded with a punch in his gut, gasping for air as his respiratory bypass system kicked in. The pause was long enough for them to strip him of his long sleeved black shirt as well, carelessly throwing both articles of clothing into a corner.

He was dragged over to the grate rectangle, his body forced back against the cold metal before two shackles were attached to his wrists, wires attached to them yanking his arms up as the grate was raised. He struggled against his bound position, wincing as his arms were raised higher above his head. Held against his will, he settled for the next best thing, he glared at Van Statten. The human didn't seem to notice him, walking around to the gun-like machine and pressing a button. The Pharaoh had a moment to see a red light come out of it before he was writhing in pain as the beam moved over his torso. It felt like it was burning his insides, the Pharaoh biting back a scream.

As suddenly at it had started, it was over, the Pharaoh slumping and raising his head to glare at Van Statten as the man laughed at something that he saw. "Two hearts! Binary vascular system, I'm so going to patent that!"

"So you just scavenge this stuff? How like a human."

"This stuff has been falling to Earth for centuries. All it takes is the right mind to use it. Oh, the advances that I've made with alien junk." He continued on like he had never heard the Pharaoh. "Broadband? Roswell. Just last year my scientists cultivated bacteria from the Russian crater and they found the cure for the common cold."

Van Statten walked around the machine and looked at the Pharaoh, staring at him with a cocky smile. "But it's not released yet, not until I'm sure it will be worth the money."

The Pharaoh gave a low growl, shifting so he was more upright despite the pain still in his torso. "Do you know what that thing is? It is a killing machine and it will be true to that. That _thing_ is better than you."

Van Statten laughed. "Then I will be true to myself and continue."

The Pharaoh forced himself to school his face to show no emotion, remembering too well the pain from before. He shook his head, forcing his torso forward so he could lift his head. "Then it will kill us all."

"Nothing, escapes the Cage." Van Statten smirked before flicking the switch, the Pharaoh throwing his head back in a silent scream as the beam ran over him again.

__

* * *

_Please read and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome._


	20. Extermination

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter Nineteen: Extermination**

**Chapter Nineteen: Extermination**

"_It fell to Earth on the Ascension Islands, burned in its crater for three days before anybody could get near it. And all that time, it was screaming. It must have gone insane."_

_-Diana Goddard_

Yugi allowed himself to be led through the corridors of the Vault, glaring at the floor the entire way. That Van Statten guy was going to drive him crazy. He really hoped that the Pharaoh would figure out what was sending out the distress signal quickly so that they could get out here. He shot a glare at the nearest wall, really wishing that it was the man himself.

"Here it is." Yugi looked over at Tomoya, hurriedly getting rid of the glare. He didn't hate Tomoya, he felt sorry for the man. It must be horrible to work under Van Statten, especially with his obvious hatred for anyone that wasn't him.

Tomoya opened a door into a small room that was strewn with pieces of alien technology. Yugi stood in the doorway and watched the man scurry around, clearing space on a stool. Yugi walked in a moment later, looking at all the stuff that Tomoya had stored down here, his jaw dropping in amazement. While it wasn't the TARDIS, the sheer volume of the stuff that was in the small room amazed him. Yugi turned around in a slow circle before sinking onto the stool, reaching out to gently touch one of the objects on the table. "This is amazing."

"Yeah." Tomoya was leaning against the table, looking around as well. "It's amazing that all this stuff even exists! You wouldn't believe all the stuff the United Nations keeps quiet; aliens, spaceships. It all exists!"

Yugi smiled at Tomoya's enthusiasm, deciding not to give away that he knew most of this stuff already. He just smiled and leaned forward, watching Tomoya gesture and talk. It was almost like the Pharaoh in a way, this enthusiasm for live beyond the normal day, but the Pharaoh was more reluctant to show it and Yugi blamed the Time War for that. But he wondered what would happen if the Pharaoh actually showed his enthusiasm instead of hiding it behind sarcasm and insults.

He sighed and sat back up as Tomoya came to sit down beside him, a smile on his face. Yugi laughed and leaned on the table, raising an eyebrow. He blinked at the almost bashful look that Tomoya gave him, groping for something to say to end the silence. "So, how did you end up working for Van Statten?"

"Oh, he grabbed me right out of college." Tomoya sat on the edge of the desk, toying with one of the alien objects. "I was the top of my class for all my life, so he took me on here. Now I'm just the one forgotten back here."

Yugi nodded, knowing the feeling. He had dealt with it all the time when he worked at the Black Crown, just the one stuck in the background; except that he had never had the drive to get out of there. He had been fine muddling along, but that had been back then. He shrugged and stretched, blinking as he felt Tomoya's gaze on him. Yugi quickly slumped down into his seat, glancing over at the man.

Tomoya blushed and looked down at his hands and the artifact that he held. "Are you…are you and the Pharaoh..?"

Yugi stared at Tomoya, not knowing what to say to that. Of course they weren't like that, they were just friends. It was obvious, wasn't it? Yugi shook his head. "No, of course not."

"Oh," Tomoya sighed with relief, "that's good."

"Why?" Yugi glanced over at Tomoya, not knowing what to make of the smile on Tomoya's face.

"It just is." Tomoya hopped off the table, placing the artifact down before bustling around the room. Yugi watched him move around, uncertainty settling in his stomach.

He knew Tomoya was flirting with him; he wasn't that stupid or naïve. But he just wasn't sure about what to do about it. He knew he liked girls; he had dated Miho for almost five years, four of those years their relationship turning more physical. But he had also found himself looking at guys, but had never dated them. It wasn't that he had anything against them; he had just never gone further than looking from afar. So he still had no idea how to deal with advances from a guy. Only one girl had ever flirted with him, and that had been Miho.

Yugi rolled his shoulders, using the move to disguise a shrug before glancing at the computer that sat beside him, almost hidden beneath the junk. He tipped his head to the side, wondering what Van Statten was taking the Pharaoh to see. He knew that he should be patient and wait for the Pharaoh to get back, but the Time Lord was easily distracted.

"Hey, Tomoya," Yugi nearly winced at the man turned around eagerly to look at him, "what's in the Cage?"

"Our one live specimen."

"I heard that much. But _what_ is it?" Yugi tried not to look too disappointed when Tomoya sighed, obviously ready to tell him that it wasn't his business. To his surprise, the man walked over to the computer and began typing on the keyboard that he cleared out of the junk. Yugi leaned over, his eyes going wide as Tomoya easily made his way through the security systems and hacked into the security cameras, selecting one that looked into the cage.

Yugi shifted so he could see the screen better, staring at the metal casing that he assumed was the specimen that Tomoya had been talking about. It did look a bit more like the aliens he had expected his first time out, all metal and robot-like, but he wasn't too sure. Did that constitute as a live specimen?

He gripped the table harder as he watched a man in an orange suit approach the metal creature, his eyes widening as he stared at the instrument in the man's hand. Were his eyes deceiving him or was that a buzz saw?

He was about to ask Tomoya this when the man turned on the saw, holding it against the creature. Yugi's breath caught in his throat as he heard the creature scream, watching the sparks fly off the thing. He tensed as the man brought the saw away, only to use it on a different section of the metal, the screaming staring up again.

Yugi pushed away from the table, with a gasp, shaking his head. "They're torturing it!"

"I didn't know!" Tomoya ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head, Yugi forcing himself not to glare.

"We need to get down there."

Tomoya hesitated for a while, Yugi almost tempted to rush out and find the Cage himself before Tomoya nodded. "I have the clearance. Come on, I'll take you."

The man grabbed his hand, but Yugi didn't protest, knowing that Tomoya was the only reason he was getting down there. Also, something told him that this was alright; it was alright to like both guys and girls. And Tomoya genuinely liked him, apparently. Yugi wasn't even sure about what Miho thought about him anymore, they were just together because it was comfortable…because it was what had happened.

He was led to the elevator again, Tomoya punching the number in and settling in for the ride down. For once, the silence between them was comfortable. Yugi nearly lunged out of the elevator when they reached their floor, holding back so Tomoya could escort him down to the Cage, staring openly at the large doors that separated them. Tomoya quickly opened the doors, Yugi walking through them and finding himself looking through the next set of open doors that led into the place where they were keeping the creature.

He left Tomoya to talk to the people in the first room, slipping into the room where the creature was. Yugi glanced at the implements that were on the table, scrunching up his nose in disgust before walking over to the creature. He looked it over, noting places where the casing was damaged, some of the strips of metal that made up the lower half of the creature were beginning to peel away, revealing an array of wires.

Yugi flinched and carefully began to approach the creature, hearing Tomoya's surprised intake of breath from behind him. He swallowed before speaking softly, not wanting the men in the next room to hear. "Hello. Are you in pain?"

The creature didn't respond, Yugi glancing down at the stalk with the blue light at the end before trying again. "My name is Yugi Mutou. I've got a friend called the Pharaoh. He could help you."

"Yes." Yugi perked up as the creature rasped out the answer, watching as the eye stalk moved up to meet his gaze. "I. Am. In Pain. They tor-ture me. But. Still. They. Fear me. Do you. Fear me?"

Yugi stared at the creature before shaking his head, watching the eye stalk lower to look at the ground again. "No."

"I. Am. Dy-ing."

Yugi sucked in a breath, looking back at Tomoya. It was all their fault, barring Tomoya, for putting the creature in this kind of pain. This shouldn't have happened. And it was his job to fix it. He turned to look back at the creature, shaking his head and trying to smile. "No. I promise, we can help you."

"I. Wel-come death." Yugi bit is lip, shaking his head. As if it recognized his pain, the creature looked back up at Yugi. "But. I am glad. That before I die. I've met a. Hu-man. Who was. Not afraid"

"Isn't there anything…anything at all?"

"My. Race. Is dead. I. Shall. Die. Alone." Yugi bit back a whimper, too easily picturing the Pharaoh's face as he admitted to the same thing. He had seen what being the last of his kind had done to the Pharaoh, and he hated it.

Yugi glanced down at his hand, absently wondering if the creature could even feel touch, but it was his only way to offer comfort. He looked back up at the creature, part of a smile on his face. "Not necessarily."

He reached out to touch the creature, his hand resting on the bronze dome that he assumed was its head. At first, is rested comfortably there, and then Yugi felt a small burn run through his palm, yanking his hand back as Tomoya shouted, "Yugi, no!"

"Gen-entic ma-terial extrap-olated." The creature twitched, beginning to pull back against the chains, Yugi watching in shock as they snapped easily. "INI-TIATE CELLULAR RECON-STRUC-TION!"

Yugi felt Tomoya begin to pull him out of the room, their flight stopped by the man in the orange suit, Yugi's stomach dropping at the sight of the gun that the man held. "What have you done?"

The man walked up to the creature, staring at it as it raised the plunger that was attached to its body. The man laughed. "What are you going to do? Sucker me to death?"

Yugi squeaked as the creature engulfed the lower half of the man's face with the plunger, the sound of bones breaking following soon after. Yugi heard Tomoya give a muffled scream before the blonde pulled them out of the room, the soldiers that were in the adjoining room quickly shutting the door.

He turned as he heard someone turn onto the computer at the other end of the room, his mind still focused on that creature, unable to get the rasping voice out of his head. At first, he hadn't been afraid of it, but that time was over. He was terrified after that display of power.

"Condition red. Condition red. I repeat; this is not a drill."

"What the hell is going on there?" Yugi turned to look at the computer at the sound of Van Statten's voice. He rushed over, blinking at the blank screen before looking up at the solider who was talking.

"The creature is loose but we've locked it in the room."

Yugi heard Van Statten laugh, glaring at the screen. He smiled as he heard a familiar voice, tipping his head to the side at the unfamiliar raw edge to it. "The Dalek is a genius, Van Statten, it can get loose."

"The lock to that room has a billion combinations."

"And it's a genius. It can calculate a thousand billions combinations." Yugi flinched as he heard the Pharaoh cough, the sound of metal scraping against metal heard. "Release me if you want to live."

There was silence for a while before the sound of clicks were heard, Yugi guessing that they were releasing the Pharaoh from whatever they had held him in. He wanted to glare at someone and yell at them for doing that, but couldn't bring himself to do so. He jumped and looked back at the door as he heard clicking, Yugi watching the display of numbers flickering faster than he could read them.

A flicker on the screen behind him back Yugi turn back around, a smile breaking across his face as he saw the Pharaoh, apparently unharmed. He raised an eyebrow as he watched the Time Lord finish pulling on his coat, wondering why the Pharaoh had taken it off in the first place, but he decided to ignore that for now.

"Pharaoh, it's my fault that this-" Yugi cut himself off, turning around to look at the yellow light that was flashing above the door. He glanced back at the screen, seeing an equal look of terror flash across the Pharaoh's eyes before Tomoya hauled him away.

The soldiers stood between them and the creature, beginning to open fire, the sound of the guns making Yugi flinch away. Over the din, he heard Van Statten shout, "Don't shoot it!" before the Dalek reached the computer and broke the screen.

Yugi watched in horrified awe as the Dalek began to repair itself, aware that the lights were flickering around him as the Dalek absorbed the power. A shiver ran down his spine as he watched the creature continue to sit there, apparently still absorbing power.

"Yugi!" He was yanked away by Tomoya, the female solider in the room beginning to lead them away. Yugi stumbled after them in a daze, finally gaining enough speed to actually run. He tore after the female solider, glancing around that the other soldiers that were filling in the corridor behind them. He was brought to a stop behind a corner, panting for breath and watching as the Dalek slowly rolled out of the room, completely fixed and shining in the dim lights. It didn't seem to notice that it was surrounded on all sides, coming to a stop in the middle of the corridor. There was a pause before the order came. "Open fire!"

The Dalek just sat there, the bullets coming at it, but never touching it. Yugi's mouth dropped open as he watched the bullets just dissolve before they even got a chance to touch the Dalek. If this was what they were up against, then how were they to get rid of it?

He froze as the Dalek jerked into motion, firing at one of the soldiers. Yugi thought he caught a glimpse of the man's skeleton before he crumpled to the ground dead. He didn't even have time to absorb that, watching in horror as the Dalek spun its midsection around, the section with the plunger and the weapon, before firing at one of the soldiers on the other side of the corridor. And then it was rotating back, calmly picking off one soldier at a time, their screams echoing in Yugi's ears.

He wrapped his arms around himself, pushing away from the ground at the tap on his shoulder. They ran again, Yugi now acting on instinct as the screams of the soldiers echoed down the corridor towards them. He was roughly yanked into a stairwell and pushed up the stairs, snapping back into reality at the motion. Yugi spotted Tomoya dashing up the other side of the stairs, stopping when he came to a landing and smiling. "That thing can't climb. It's trapped."

The nervous laughter that had started stopped as the Dalek rolled into the stairwell, the front of it bumping against the bottom stair. It looked down at the stair, the eyestalk slowly panning up the stair case. Yugi flinched as it snapped up to where they were, a reaction as Tomoya spoke. "The great killer stopped by a simple flight of stairs."

The Dalek stared at them for a moment, the hairs on the back of Yugi's neck rising at its stillness. Then, it spoke, the word making Yugi tremble in fear. "Elevate."

It rose from the ground, slowly gaining enough height to clear the first few stairs and then moving forward, still rising. And, suddenly, Yugi didn't feel safe anywhere anymore. This Dalek couldn't be defeated.

A hand grabbed his arm and pulled him away, Tomoya running again. Yugi stumbled for a moment before following, looking behind him as the soldier that they had been following began to open fire on the Dalek, buying them the time to get away. He turned back, concentrating on his running. It was two strides later that he heard the distinctive sound of the Dalek's weapon being fired and then the scream of the soldier dying.

* * *

"Damn it, why don't they answer!" Van Statten hit the view screen, which was mostly just static now. The Pharaoh looked up from where he was leaning against the desk, not bothering to hide the disgust on his face.

"They're all dead, Van Statten. Every last one of them."

"But…" The man turned to look at the malfunctioning screen before glaring back at the Pharaoh. "There has to be a way to stop this thing. It has to want something."

"It does." The Pharaoh looked over at him before standing up, looming over Van Statten. "It wants the human race dead."

"Why? What have we done to it?"

"Nothing." The Pharaoh glanced at the screen, watching the static move across it. "It honestly believes that you should be killed, because you're different."

He snorted and walked across the room again, feeling like he needed to get out of here. But this was the command center of the place and he was needed here. He glanced towards the elevator, wishing that Yugi would hurry up and get here. The Pharaoh sighed and shook his head, glaring up at Van Statten. "You've let loose the ultimate machine of racial cleansing."

"What do we do?"

The Pharaoh turned his glare to the floor, his mind working but coming up to one same roadblock. Yugi was down there with that thing. He shook his head viciously, telling himself that he didn't care about the human, lying to himself. The Pharaoh looked at the computer that was sitting on the desk before dismissing it. They were running on emergency power since the Dalek had short circuited the grid repairing itself; which left one option.

"Give everyone a gun. Have them gather in a place where they can fire on the Dalek from all sides."

"But-"

"Do it. Now!"

Van Statten nodded and relayed the order, the Pharaoh going back to staring at the computer. He had lived too long to just rely on one plan, so there had to be a Plan B. There was a slim chance that they could use the computer to redirect the power and close the Dalek off on one level, but they didn't even know where the Dalek was right now.

"Done." The Pharaoh turned to look at Van Statten, looking down at the desk before snatching up one of the headsets and placing it on his ear. He pressed the button on the side, waiting a moment before he heard the voice of a soldier.

"Sir?"

"I'm not Van Statten." He heard the soldier sigh in relief before he spoke again. "Listen, aim for the eyestalk, have everyone aim for the eyestalk."

"I know how to do my job." The Pharaoh turned around to yell at the man when he was cut off, the Pharaoh giving a curse before glaring at the wall. Plan B was looking more likely with every second now.

"Hey, it's back on." He spun back around at Van Statten's call, staring at the screen. The image showed a weapon's testing range, people in lab coats and uniforms setting themselves up. The Pharaoh started at it, ignoring Van Statten's laughter beside him. "The power's back on!"

"No. It just wants us to see this."

He took a step closer as he saw people begin to run through, freezing as he saw the familiar spiked hair of Yugi. He looked at the soldiers that were aiming their guns at the two, holding his breath until the order came through. "Civilians, let them through!"

Yugi and Tomoya sprinted across the room, reaching the doors on the other side as the Dalek rolled in. The Pharaoh found his attention divided between Yugi and the Dalek, watching as his companion paused for a moment, looking back at the Dalek. They seemed to stare at each other for a moment before Yugi was dragged away, leaving the Dalek to move towards the center of the large room.

"Open fire!" The order was belted out, men and women peeking around boxes to fire at the Dalek as it sat there. The Pharaoh heard Van Statten hiss as the bullets came close to the Dalek, relaxing as they dissolved away in the end. But the Pharaoh was too focused on what the creature was doing.

The Dalek looked around the room before raising its weapon stalk, aiming for the fire alarm. It shot the small red box, breaking the glass and setting off the sprinklers, the humans still firing. And then it waited, watching everything that was going on around it.

The Pharaoh stared at the Dalek, wondering what it was going to do and figuring it out a split second before the Dalek moved, levitating off the floor to look down at the soldiers that were still firing at it; the soldiers and scientists who were leaning on metal objects, holding metal objects and completely soaked with water.

It was over in two shots, one to the floor and one to the metal riser that the rest of the soldiers were standing on. The people screamed and twitched as they died, the sprinkler system still raining down. The Dalek remained hovering for a moment before lowering itself to the ground, turning unerringly towards the security camera.

"I. Shall. Speak. Only to. The Pha-raoh." Van Statten looked back at him before shuffling away from the viewing screen, letting the Time Lord step up to the screen. The Pharaoh looked over the Dalek with a scoff before shrugging.

"Rust away then. You'll do my job for me."

"I fed. Off the. D.N.A. Of Yugi Mu-tou. Extrap-lating the. Biomass. Of a. Ti-me Tra-ve-ler. Re-generated me."

The Pharaoh scowled. "What are you waiting for me to do, congratulate you on that?"

The Dalek continued like it hadn't heard him. "I. Have been. Sear-ching for. The Da-leks. I. Scanned. Your Sat-elites. And Ra-dio tele-scopes."

"I saw that." The Pharaoh motioned at the dim lights overhead. "You also shut down power to the western half of the United States." He smirked and leaned forward. "And through all of that, what did you find."

"No-thing." The Pharaoh found himself gloating as the Dalek looked down at the ground, somewhat proud of his contribution to the Time War. The thought was shaken off moments later when the Dalek looked back up. "WHERE. SHALL. I. GET. MY. OR-DERS. NOW?"

"Nowhere."

"Then. I shall. Fol-low the. Pri-mary or-der. The Da-lek inst-inct. To des-troy. To con-quer."

"No!" The Pharaoh shook his head, giving a short laugh as the Dalek looked up at him. The Time Lord could almost imagine confusion in the emotionless voice.

"Then. What should. I do?"

"Haven't you got it yet? There will be no more orders. Your primary directive means nothing."

"THE DA-LEKS. MUST SUR-VIVE!"

"The Daleks are dead! I killed them all!" The Pharaoh smiled, shaking his head and taking a step back. The Dalek didn't respond for a long while, the silence driving the Pharaoh crazy. He was waiting for the next retort, the next act of violence, but it never came, just the suddenly stillness of the metal creature. He swallowed before continuing, growing bolder with each passing second. "I've got an order for you. Why don't you follow them? Why don't you just burn with the rest of your species? WHY DON'T YOU JUST _DIE_?"

There was another long pause, the Dalek staring at him as the Pharaoh panted, feeling slightly vilified from his shout. He had finally gotten his point across. The victorious smile disappeared from his face as the creature spoke. "You. Would. Make. A good. Da-lek."

The screen flickered off then, the Pharaoh staring at the black screen and feeling his stomach sink. He couldn't think at that moment, suddenly compared to the creatures that he had hated for most of his long life. Compared to that killer, without remorse or emotions. He stood a shaky step back, looking at Van Statten, who was merely staring at him with surprise. "We have to seal it up."

Van Statten lunged for the computer, his fingers flying across the keyboard as he worked on rerouting the power. The Pharaoh walked over to the screen, watching as it flickered before showing one blip. Van Statten removed one hand from the keyboard to point at it. "That's the Dalek." He paused to type longer, the image getting stronger. "The bulkheads close off at level forty-six. Hopefully your little friend can get there fast enough."

"He can." The Pharaoh focused on manipulating the communicator that he had in his ear, trying to call Yugi's cell phone.

"Do we have a plan that involves escape?"

"No." The Pharaoh shot Van Statten a glare, tapping one finger against the communicator as the dial tone started. "There's we don't have enough power for that. We're stuck down here."

"So…this better work." Van Statten turned to look back at the screen, typing faster. The Pharaoh sat down at the other keyboard, staring at his side of the screen before blinking. Over the communicator he heard the sound of running and panting, the sounds going on for a short while before he heard Yugi's voice.

"Not now!"

"Yes, now! Where are you?"

He could almost imagine Yugi rolling his eyes. "We're on level forty-nine and heading up."

"Go faster."

"I'm running!"

"Yugi, the bulkheads are closing. If you don't get moving then you'll be trapped down there."

He heard Yugi groan over the phone. "Can't you stop them?"

"I'm the one closing them."

"Oh, thanks for that!" Yugi growled, but the sound of running feet got faster. "We're moving. Try to hold if off for as long as you can."

The Pharaoh looked up as Van Statten gave a short cheer. "We've got power to the bulkheads." The cheer was cut off as the man leaned forward, his eyes following the slowly rising blip. "The Dalek is right behind them though."

"Yugi…"

"I KNOW!" There were more sounds of panting before Yugi spoke again. "We're almost there, Pharaoh."

The screen flickered, the Pharaoh's eyes widening as he watched the map of the Vault die before coming back up again, immediately looking for the blip that was the Dalek. His attention was grabbed by Van Statten as the man leaned forward. "I can't sustain the power for much longer. Close the bulkheads."

"Yugi…"

"I can see it…just ahead…"

"I'm sorry." He hit the enter button, watching the message flash up on the screen, a warning of what he was doing. As if he didn't know.

He found himself watching the Dalek, utterly entranced by its progress through the level, listening intently to the sounds of panting that came from Yugi as his companion sprinted towards the closing bulkhead.

The Pharaoh was startled from his contemplation of the map by Van Statten, looking up as the man spoke. "The Vault is sealed."

He pushed away from his chair, nearly yelling into his communicator. "Yugi? Yugi, where are you?" His answer was the sound of panting, the Pharaoh pressing one hand to the communicator in the dim hope that it would provide and answer. "Did you make it?"

There was a long sigh from the other line, the Pharaoh not knowing what to make of it. "I was...Ow…I was too slow. Sorry."

He froze hearing those words, the hand that he had on the communicator falling back to his mind refused to work properly, thoughts spinning around endlessly in his head. Yugi hadn't made it. Yugi was stuck on the wrong side of a steel door.

Yugi was stuck with the Dalek.

Over the line he heard a sharp gasp followed by a low curse, faintly hearing the sound of something coming down that hallway towards Yugi. The Pharaoh leaned forward a bit, his eyes moving from side to side like he was reading, waiting for a response from Yugi.

"See you, Pharaoh." His mind rebelled against the words, refusing to accept them. Anyone. Anyone but Yugi. "And don't you dare blame yourself for this. It was my choice. Alright?"

Of course it wasn't alright. The Pharaoh couldn't find his voice, stuck staring at a wall as Yugi continued. "I wouldn't have missed this for the world. So…thanks."

The Pharaoh felt a smile tug at the corner of his mouth, hearing Yugi's breathless laughter on the other end.

"EXTERMINATE!"

__

* * *

_Please read and review. Criticism is always welcome._


	21. The New Companion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter Twenty: The New Companion**

**Chapter Twenty: The New Companion**

"_You just want to drag the stars down and stick them underground beneath tons of sand and dirt and label them. You're about as far from the stars as you can get. And you took her down with you."_

_-The Doctor_

He ripped the communicator from his ear before he could even finish hearing the laser being fired. He didn't want to hear that, he didn't want to hear Yugi dying because he had failed his companion. Yugi was wrong, it was all his fault. And he had promised that he would protect him. He had promised Yugi's mother and…

"I killed him."

"I'm sorry."

"Yugi is dead and you're _just_ sorry?" The Pharaoh spun around, glaring at the man, throwing the communicator onto the desk. "None of this would have happened if you had let me kill that Dalek."

"That Dalek is the prize of my collection! I didn't want it destroyed!"

"That Dalek was not worth the lives of those people! It wasn't worth Yugi's life!"

"That Dalek is part of this collection, part of my dream! I want to go out there and touch the stars!"

"You're dragging the stars down, Van Statten! You're about as far from the stars as you can get down here. You just snatch things and label them before sticking them under cement and dirt!" The Pharaoh blanched at the last sentence, having to lean forward and brace himself on the desk. Yugi was doing to be stuck down with the rest of them, buried under dirt and concrete, never to see the sun again. He took a shuddering breath, looking up to glare at Van Statten. "He was only nineteen!"

They both fell into silence, the Pharaoh staring at the wood grain of the desk. Suddenly, he didn't mind if the Dalek caught him in the end. While it wasn't a total surrender, he would still fight until the end, but it no longer mattered if he got out alive. The Pharaoh shook his head, trying to snap himself out of this funk.

Since when had one human mattered this much to him? Sure, there had always been humans on the TARDIS, friends and companions that he showed the universe so that he could see some things anew. And it had always hurt when they went their separate ways or he had to send them away because of some stupid decree off the Time Lords. And a few had even died. But those were still lesser pains to the loss of Yugi. And the Pharaoh didn't want to really think about why it hurt so much.

He looked up as the doors to the room opened, narrowing his eyes as he saw Tomoya walk out of the elevator, adjusting his watch. The Pharaoh pushed away from the desk, glaring at Tomoya as he walked into the room, looking visibly shaken. He meant to shout at the man, but couldn't bring himself to do it, it wouldn't help.

The Pharaoh turned around. He would go back to the TARDIS and go down to that level and kill the Dalek, then he would bring Yugi's body back to his mother. He sighed, staring at the doors. He didn't look forward to that part of this adventure.

"Op-en the bulk-head. Or Yugi Mu-tou dies!" The Pharaoh froze at the rasping voice, not hearing the words that the Dalek spoke for a moment. He blinked as he realized what the creature had said, spinning around quickly.

The Dalek had allowed them the use of the view screen again; the security camera pointed at it and the one that held captive, the weapon's stalk pointed at Yugi's back. The Pharaoh gave a breathy sigh of relief, leaning back against the wall to hide his trembling. "You're alive."

"Of course."

The Pharaoh narrowed his eyes, glaring at Yugi, trying to force back the emotions that really wanted to come out with the words. "I thought you were dead."

"Op-en the bulk-head!" The Dalek interrupted what Yugi was going to say next, the young man wincing as the Dalek rolled forward, poking him in the back with the weapon stalk.

The Pharaoh stared at the Dalek. Did the creature think that he would just open it up and put the rest of them in danger? But then, there was Yugi to think about. And, suddenly, Yugi mattered too much. "I-"

"What. Use are. Emo-tions. If. You. Will not save. The man you. Love?"

"Pharaoh."

"No." He refused to acknowledge the question that the Dalek asked, not looking at the view screen as he walked across the room and pressed the enter button, raising the bulkhead. He would _not_ lose Yugi again. There had to be another plan, Plan C.

He didn't bother to look at the view screen beyond to check that the Dalek was abiding by the terms of their agreement before grabbing onto Tomoya's arm and walking out of the room and towards the elevator. "There are more weapons in this place."

Tomoya nodded. "Yeah, in my office. I kept some in my office…just in case."

"In case you'd have to fight your way out of this place?" The Pharaoh rolled his eyes, leaning against the wall as the elevator rose. He glared at the space in the wall until the doors opened, rolling his shoulders before stepping into the elevator. "Smart thinking there."

"No! Van Statten has our memories erased and just throws us somewhere into the world." Tomoya looked at him for a long time, the Pharaoh trying to figure out just what the man wanted from him.

"Do you expect pity or congratulations? You should have known that when you signed on with him."

Tomoya flinched, looking down at the floor and then up as the elevator hit the level they were looking for. The Pharaoh stopped him from leaving the elevator, checking the corridor for any signs of the Dalek before shoving Tomoya out, glaring at the man as he stumbled along.

He had no time or patience for bumbling, he just wanted to get to the Dalek and destroy it before it destroyed what home he had left. He nearly barged into the office, immediately going to a promising looking large container and fishing around in it. He looked at the first weapon he drew out, disgusted with it, before throwing it to one side, ignoring Tomoya's squeal of horror as he repeated the process.

"Broken. Broken. Broken. Hair dryer. Useless." He perked up as he found something nearly the bottom, carefully fishing it out. The Pharaoh examined it before smiling, turning around and nearly shoving Tomoya out of his way. "Now _this_ is something."

* * *

Yugi nervously waited for the Dalek to enter the elevator, quickly following it as the metal creature moved around to face the front. He wedged himself into a small space, twitching as he stared at the Dalek.

He had seen the Dalek kill people without question or any real reason. And yet he was spared. He wanted to ask why he had been spared above all others, but he figured that an elevator wasn't the best place to do so. He pressed himself against the closest wall, praying that the elevator ride would be short.

His prayers were not answered as the Dalek turned to look at him, Yugi having to contort himself to keep from getting hit with the eyestalk. "You. Wish. To. Speak." Yugi swallowed, but said nothing. "SPEAK!"

"Why didn't you kill me?"

"It. Is. My pur-pose."

"So why didn't you?" The Dalek was silent, Yugi having to move again to avoid being hit. He looked towards the doors, realizing then that the elevator had stopped moving. The doors opened to slowly for his tastes, stepping out first and then waiting for the Dalek to move out.

He felt like a traitor, helping the Dalek get to Van Statten, but it was keeping him alive. And, all that mattered was that he was alive.

Yugi rushed ahead to open the doors into Van Statten's office, flinching as the Dalek rolled in calmly, watching as the man panicked. Van Statten slid out from his desk, backing himself into the corner and babbling as the Dalek advanced on him. "No, no! Please, don't hurt me! Don't hurt me! I just wanted to hear you talk."

"Then. Here. Me. Talk. Exterminate. EXTERMINATE!"

Yugi lunged forward, not really thinking his plan all the way through. He was just tired of seeing people die. There was a high chance that the Dalek would just kill him this time, but something told him otherwise. The Dalek hadn't killed him when it had the chance, maybe it was changing. "Wait, you don't have to do this!"

"It. Is. My pur-pose."

"But you don't have to." Yugi was panting for breath, more on the heady knowledge that he hadn't been killed yet than any real exertion. "You can do anything you want now. You _chose_ not to kill me."

The Dalek paused for a moment, its eyestalk swinging around to look at Yugi. "What. Do. I . Do?"

"Whatever you want." Yugi's smile faltered at the Dalek stared at him. "What do you want?"

A long silence followed, Yugi beginning to sweat as the creature didn't answer. He jumped at the sound of machinery as the Dalek moved, backing away from Van Statten to face him, the eyestalk never leaving his face. "Free-dom."

Yugi smiled and nodded, watching the Dalek back away before heading back towards the door. He stop one more look at Van Statten before following the Dalek, suddenly more relaxed in its presence. He was sure of the creature now, it had changed somehow.

It trundled into the elevator, Yugi following after. He glanced over as the Dalek used its plunger to manipulate the buttons, sending them up to the first level. Yugi stood back, the silence between them comfortable, something that he would have not expected from the creature.

The elevator came to a stop, Yugi rushing out of the way of the Dalek as it began to roll determinedly along the corridor. He looked back over his shoulder, stopping when he spotted a small hole in the concrete above his head. He stopped and looked up at it, taking a deep breath before sighing. "It feels good to feel the sun again."

The Dalek rolled to a stop beside him, looking up at the hole before raising its weapon and firing, the concrete crumbling inward. Yugi stared up at the ceiling, shifting so he was partially in the beam of sunlight, the Dalek rolling up beside him. The Dalek looked up through the hole. "How. Does. It. Feel?"

Before Yugi could answer, he heard some clicking from within the Dalek, quickly moving out of the way as the midsection of the Dalek peeling back to expose the creature inside, Yugi staring openly at what he saw.

It looked a bit like a squid, tentacles waving and covered with slime. But there were two eyes on the creature, one slightly larger than the other and the main part of the creature was a bit more wrinkled. Yugi blinked, forcing himself to stop staring as he watched the Dalek reach out for the sunlight with one tentacle.

"Yugi, step back." Yugi spun around, smiling when he saw that the Pharaoh was here, his smile disappearing when he realized that the Pharaoh was holding a gun. It was the one thing that he thought he would never see in his life. He shivered, suddenly feeling safer close to the Dalek. The Pharaoh noticed his move before his blue eyes narrowed. "Yugi get away from that thing now!"

"But it's not going to do anything to me! It couldn't before and it won't now!" Knowing how foolish the move was, Yugi edged in front of the Dalek, careful not to block the sunlight that the creature was so obviously enjoying. "It's changed!"

"Daleks can't change."

"If you can, then it can." Yugi glared at the Time Lord, watching as the Pharaoh didn't lower the gun he was holding.

"That thing is dangerous! It's killed people!"

"It's also not pointing a gun at me." Yugi laughed when the weapon didn't waver. "It's changed and you've changed. Are you going to kill me now too, Pharaoh? Should I beg and plead for mercy while you kill me?"

The gun finally wavered, the Pharaoh lowering it before dropping it to the ground, Yugi taking the moment to step away from the Dalek. The Pharaoh stared down at the gun that he had held, shaking his head in disgust before looking up at Yugi. "That _thing_ and its kind killed everyone…they're all dead."

"Why. Do we. Sur-vive?"

The Pharaoh looked up at the Dalek, looking disturbed. "I-I don't know."

"I. Am. The last."

"Not even that. Yugi gave you life, but he also changed you."

"But that's good, right?" Yugi took a step forward, looking between the Pharaoh and the Dalek. "It doesn't need to kill anything anymore. It's something new! That's good!"

"Not for a Dalek."

"Such. Ideas. Such. Darkness." Yugi turned to look at the Dalek, shuddering at the last word. How many times would that be mentioned in his presence? Or was he just over sensitive to that word because of what Gwyneth had said? He didn't have time to think that over more because the Dalek turned to him. "Yugi. Or-der me. To die."

"I-I can't."

"Obey! Obey! OBEY!"

Yugi stumbled back a step, surprised by how much the Dalek seemed to want this. His eyes widened before he nodded, not really sure why he was doing as the creature asked. "Alright. I order you to kill yourself."

"Thank. You." There was a short pause, Yugi almost able to see the Dalek thing. "Are. You. Af-raid of. Me. Now?"

Yugi nodded, backing away as the Dalek's midsection began to close. He jogged closer to the Pharaoh, not understanding what was going on. He watched as the Dalek slowly levitated off the ground, Yugi staring at it as the bronze balls on the metal skirt deployed themselves, hovering around him.

He yelped as he was pulled back by the Pharaoh, held against his side as the bronze balls created a field around the Dalek, Yugi staring as it shimmered into life. He was wondering what purpose it served when the Dalek that was inside suddenly exploded, Yugi leaping backwards into the Pharaoh. He stared at the spot where the Dalek had been, shaking a bit.

He had never thought the creature would do it. There was usually some kind of self preservation, but the Dalek had just gone ahead and killed itself. Yugi licked his lips, staring at the spot where the Dalek had been, his stomach rolling uncomfortably. Did this make him a murderer?

"Yugi?" He turned, suddenly aware that the Pharaoh had been calling him. He shuffled after the Time Lord, not really sure what he should be doing. His mind was stunningly empty, just silence and shock; all because of one creature that had tried to kill him.

He followed the Time Lord into the elevator, looking up as the Pharaoh hesitantly rested a hand on his shoulder for a moment, the quick motion meaning the world to him suddenly. Yugi sighed, slumping for a moment before straightening and staring at the doors of the elevator. "So, what happens now?"

The Pharaoh shrugged. "There are a few people up here, we'll leave Van Statten to them. They can punish him better than I would."

The doors opened, Yugi steered out into the familiar corridor that led to the TARDIS. He stared at the floor as he walked; suddenly not interested in all the space junk that was in the museum. He just felt empty. He had killed.

He let the Pharaoh lead him for a while before he started walking on his own, forcing himself away from the pressure that was pulling at him. He could reason that it was his fault or he could figure out a way to deal with it. If there was one thing he had learned from his adventures with the Pharaoh, it was that no one came out of it unscathed.

Yugi sighed and looked up with the Pharaoh, only then realizing that the Time Lord looked shaken. His own misery was quickly shoved to the side as he looked at the Pharaoh, realizing what was wrong. The Pharaoh had believed that the Daleks had been totally destroyed, the fact that one had survived must have been a blow to him.

He looked to one side, rubbing his arms before looking up at the Pharaoh. "Maybe…maybe one of your people survived."

"No." The Pharaoh shook his head, unlocking the TARDIS and slipping his key back into his pocket. "I would know." He made a vague motion at his head before shaking his head. "No. And I've won, how about that."

Yugi bit his lip. It would be too awkward to hug the Pharaoh, something that he could always do with Miho or his mother, but not between them. Especially with the question that Tomoya asked still floating around in his head. They were just friends after all, very close friends; which was good considering that they had to watch each other's backs.

"Hey, what are you guys still doing here?" Yugi turned around to watch as Tomoya ran up to them. The blonde man panted for breath before standing up and adjusting his glasses. "They're going to fill this place up with cement. They've taken Mr. Van Statten away. We have to get out of here!"

The Pharaoh glanced down at Yugi and jerked his head towards the TARDIS, opening the door partially. Yugi rested a hand on the TARDIS, patting it before moving, hoping that the Pharaoh would walk into the blue box.

"What are you doing? How will that help?"

Yugi turned to look at Tomoya, suddenly seeing himself in the man. He had once blundered along in a life like this. Suddenly, he wanted Tomoya to see that there was more out there. He smiled, looking up at the Pharaoh. His efforts were rewarded with a roll of his eyes before the Pharaoh stepped inside the TARDIS. "Better than that mutt."

He smiled and then motioned for Tomoya to follow him. The blonde hesitated for a moment, walking closer to the box. "Yugi, it's just a box."

"Come on." Yugi held out his hand, partially in the box, the smile still not off his face. "It'll be awesome."

Tomoya glanced over his shoulder before following Yugi into the TARDIS, his mouth falling open. Yugi slammed the door shut before walking over to the console, poking the Pharaoh's shoulder. "Next stop, grocery store. I need food."

"Who's captain of this ship?"

"You." Yugi shook his head, walking back around the console to stand next to Tomoya. "But I could starve. And the TARDIS wouldn't like that very much."

He grabbed onto Tomoya's arm and began coaxing him up the ramp, a smile on his face. The blonde man looked frightened, trembling. Yugi tried to look reassuring as he moved the man up towards the console. "It's alien and it's bigger on the inside. It's alright."

"Are…are you sure?"

"Yeah. Come one, you can relax in a room for a bit before the next adventure or something." Yugi lead him into the hallway, glancing at the line of doors and smiling when one opened. Tomoya hesitantly followed him, peeking into the room before gasping. Yugi patted his shoulder before taking a step back, looking in the direction of the console room. "You just stay here for a bit. The TARDIS won't let you get lost."

He waved goodbye to the man before walking back to the console room, bounding up onto the grate and leaning against the console as the Pharaoh moved around it. "Now, about you."

"No."

Yugi leaned back. "I didn't even say anything!"

"I know your type. You're going to try to bring me out of my shell. It's not going to work."

Yugi raised an eyebrow. "Really now?"

"Really." The Pharaoh went back to moving around the console, hitting buttons. Yugi watched him work, aware that the TARDIS was relatively steady, meaning that the Pharaoh was just pretending to steer. He shook his head and leaned across the console.

"I wasn't going to say that."

"Then what were you going to say?"

Yugi smiled. "I just wanted to thank you." For taking me to these place. For saving my life. For being there. For being…you. "For everything."

He walked back the corridor, looking at the room that he assumed to be Tomoya before slipping into his own. Yugi shook his head, peeling off his shirt and dropping it on the floor of the bathroom as he walked in. A hum from the TARDIS had him looking at a towel waiting for him. He smiled, hesitating with his hands on his belt. The Pharaoh had said that the TARDIS was sentient, which meant that she was aware. He hesitated for a moment before looking up at the ceiling. "Hey…could you…um…"

There was another hum before silence, Yugi relaxing when he realized that the TARDIS had agreed to his request. Yugi smiled before undressing completely and hopping into the shower and turning on the water. He sighed as the hot water ran over him, scrubbing his hands through his hair once before getting down to washing.

* * *

The Pharaoh leaned against the console, watching Yugi and Tomoya haul in the groceries. He had skipped out on the job, saying that he had enough work as the captain. He smirked as Yugi stuck his tongue out at him before they walked towards the kitchen. Yugi peeked out the next minute. "Give us a bit before the next adventure, alright?"

"You went through three in a row. Are you getting old on me?"

"Of course not." Yugi gave a shrug before disappearing into the corridor; the Pharaoh waiting until Yugi was gone before he allowed himself to slump, falling into the chair that was behind the console. He rubbed a hand over his face, hearing the croon of the TARDIS as she tried to comfort him.

He had been so close to loosing Yugi today, and it suddenly mattered. Yugi suddenly mattered a whole lot more that he should have. And it was all because of those little things that Yugi seemed to do so naturally; those moments where he was kind to the right person or just smiled. Yugi had even managed to forgive a Dalek, something that even he still couldn't do!

The human was annoying, danger-prone and precious, to him at least. All too precious.

The Pharaoh groaned and ran a hand through his hair, cursing himself. He couldn't do this, especially with the life he lived. Companions were put into danger all the time and he couldn't be freezing up every time Yugi managed to put himself in one of those situations. His only choice was to leave Yugi behind. But, then again, it hurt to even think of that.

He shook his head. What was wrong with him? The human that hadn't been interested in coming with him the first time now meant too much. He usually didn't even go back a second time, but this time, he had. And now he couldn't handle a life without Yugi. How pathetic was he?

The Pharaoh stood up, pacing around the console. Since he obviously couldn't take Yugi home, he could always leave Yugi on the TARDIS, but that would be like caging a bird. And he enjoyed watching Yugi at the moment of reveal, watching the human take in the universe. It was like seeing things new again.

Which left only one thing, Emergency Program One. But that was without explanation, just a program that could be activated when he needed it. That was easily changed.

The Pharaoh stopped his pacing, walking over to the TARDIS console and quickly hitting some of the switches that were there before taking a step back, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath before starting. "This is Emergency Program One. Yugi, now listen, this is important."

__

* * *

_Please read and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome._


	22. The Long Game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter Twenty-One: The Long Game**

**Chapter Twenty-One: The Long Game**

"_You'd rather be with him. It's gonna take a better man than me to get between you two."_

_-Adam_

The Pharaoh stepped out of the TARDIS, looking around where they had landed, nearly falling over as Yugi pushed his way out of the TARDIS. He glared at the human, Yugi just rolling his eyes before walking further out, absently rubbing his arms. "Looks a bit like Platform One."

The Time Lord looked around the station, shrugging. "It happens. If it works, the humans repeat the design."

"Well…it's efficient."

"It's boring." The Pharaoh walked a little further out, turning his head to look at Tomoya as the man shyly exited the TARDIS, staring around the place they were at. The Time Lord jerked his head towards a door, taking out his sonic screwdriver as the other two followed him. He nearly dropped the tool when Yugi ran into him, the human giving him a smile before stepping to the side.

"So, where are we?"

The Pharaoh paused, tipping his head to the side, listening to the sound of the engines before looking back at Yugi. "We're in the year 200,000 or the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire."

"Fourth?"

He raised an eyebrow at his companion. "Going deaf on me? Fourth. But the sounds of things, we should be on a satellite above the Earth."

Yugi shook his head, looking back to where Tomoya was lagging behind. "It's amazing."

"Should be. Now, keep a hold of him and make sure that he doesn't faint on us; there will be some culture shock." Yugi nodded, reaching back to grab onto Tomoya as the door opened. The Pharaoh pocketed the sonic screwdriver again, glancing back at the blonde before rolling his eyes and walking into the room.

Tomoya had proven to be an interesting addition to the TARDIS. He would hardly come out of his room, even if they were just sightseeing on Earth, which is all that they had been doing. But the Pharaoh had requested it; more to reassure himself that Yugi wouldn't get himself killed nearly ever time out. But the blonde had come out today, which made the Pharaoh wonder what was going on.

He was about to turn around and address Tomoya when a bell went off in the distance, the Pharaoh turned around as fast food stands opened up and people flooded from the rooms around them. He saw Tomoya nearly slam himself into a wall as the people began moving, looking back down at Yugi as the young man wandered close to him. He could feel Yugi watching the people carefully even as he looked over the station.

But this was wrong, all of it. There should have been different species of aliens among the humans, not just humans. The food was all wrong too. The Pharaoh frowned, beginning to move along the wall as he watched the people move around. None of this was right, and they were in the right time period, he had even double checked with the TARDIS.

"I'm guessing that something is wrong." Yugi whispered the words while they walked along the outside of the crowd, neither one paying attention to Tomoya as moved. It was too easy to just fall back into their old pattern, just the two of them working on whatever problem was at hand.

The Pharaoh nodded, coming to a stop by a corner and giving the room one last look over before glancing down at Yugi. "Not my fault."

"Sure." Yugi rolled his eyes before looking at him. The Pharaoh wasn't sure what Yugi saw in his face, but the young man swallowed nervously, the teasing attitude suddenly gone. "What's wrong?"

"All of it." The Pharaoh motioned at the fast food stalls. "This just doesn't match."

Yugi tipped his head to the side, finally giving a shrug. "Maybe it's because it's a satellite. You can't expect them to serve five star meals here. Come on, let's mingle a bit."

He was almost ready to admit that Yugi's logic was right, almost except for that voice in his head that was telling him that something was still off, beyond with Yugi had said. The Pharaoh glanced around before walking over to a dip in the wall, carefully standing so his own body would block what he was doing. He pulled out the sonic screwdriver, staring down at the dip that looked similar to the cash points on Earth before pointing the tool at the screen. There was a pause before the screen flashed, a silver rectangle sliding out of the slot. The Pharaoh pocked the screwdriver and turned back around, handing the stick to the closest person, which happened to be Tomoya. "Alright Yugi, you mingle, I'll go this way."

Yugi raised an eyebrow before shaking his head. "When I said mingle, I meant together."

The Pharaoh almost went with him then, but stopped himself. He had to separate himself from the young man; he was already becoming too dependent on Yugi. He shook his head before shrugging, the move adjusting his coat. "We split up. Maybe you'll finally earn your keep."

Yugi gave him a playful shove before heading off into the crowd, Tomoya in tow. The Pharaoh watched them go, keeping track of Yugi by his spiky hair before moving through the room himself, scanning the crowd carefully. He found two likely subjects, two young women loitering near a bank of screens. The Pharaoh gave one more glance back at Yugi, reassuring himself that the young man couldn't get into that much trouble before striding over to the women.

He caught a part of their conversation before they stopped talking with his arrival, noticing how one shrunk behind the other, her eyes immediately going to look down at the floor. The Pharaoh raised an eyebrow at this behavior before focusing on the women of African descent, the more confident of the two. "Excuse me, but where am I?"

The woman snorted, rolling her eyes. "You must be dense, mate."

It looked like she was going to continue when her friend tugged at her sleeve, keeping her voice to a low whisper that the Pharaoh could hear. "Watch out. I heard that the management has been sending people down to watch us. They're cracking down on the slackers."

The African woman's face paled for a moment before she turned to look at the Pharaoh, a nervous smile crossing her face. The Time Lord noticed it and decided to take advantage of the opportunity offered to him. He plastered on a false smile, digging into his pocket for the physic paper, glancing briefly at the blank piece of paper that was in the leather wallet. "You got me there."

He held out the paper long enough for the two to stare at it, getting a mental picture of what they saw on the blank piece of paper. Both of them saw the credentials for a member of the management for Satellite 5. The Pharaoh blinked and flipped the wallet shut, shoving it back into his pocket.

The African woman quickly brushed a piece of her hair back before looking him over. "I'm Cathica and this is Suki."

The Pharaoh nodded before leaning back against the wall opposite of them, eyes briefly scanning over the bank of screens that they stood in front off. His eyes lingered a moment over a familiar face. He raised an eyebrow as the text moved across the screen; 'Face of Boe declares himself pregnant again.' The Pharaoh barely had time to look at the company at the top of the screen before Cathica spoke again, forgetting the name Dark Game News an instant later.

"So, what do you want from us?"

"Just give me the run down." The Pharaoh looked at both of them, doing his best to force a normal looking smile on his face. "Don't want to take up much of your time but…"

Cathica responded with a roll of her eyes. "Of course, orders are orders, even if they don't make any sense." She checked her watch before shrugging. "We'll give you a demonstration after break is over. But for now…"

She looked over at Suki who gave her a nod, Cathica rolling her shoulders before going into what sounded like a well rehearsed speech. "We're reporters for Satellite 5 which broadcasts over six hundred channels to the Earth below and across the Empire, making sure that everyone gets the most recent and up to date news."

They stepped aside to allow the Pharaoh to look at all the screens. He quickly looked them over before nodding. He didn't need to look over the screens to know what was going on in the Empire, he would ask the reporters. "What about other species?"

"Aliens?" Suki whispered the word, inching out from behind Cathica. "Oh, they stay away, mostly because of fear."

"Fear?"

"Yeah, there have been terrorist threats if they come near the Earth, so they stay away. Sad really."

"No. It means more jobs for us." Cathica snapped at her friend before shaking her head and turning back to the Pharaoh, the Time Lord having to school his features into their usual blank arrangement, not wanting to give up the game this early.

Cathica sighed and shook her head. "Not that I wouldn't _mind_ to meet other species of aliens, but I've worked hard to get here and I want to go all the way to the top. Floor 500 is where I am going and I've glad that I'm just competing against humans."

"Floor 500?"

Cathica laughed, shaking her head. "It's where you go when you are promoted. They say the walls are made of gold…"

All three of them jumped slightly as a bell went off, the Pharaoh glancing up at the ceiling before looking back at the women. They both sighed, Suki wandering off to throw the cup that she had been drinking from in the trash before wandering back over to Cathica. The African woman looked down at her wrist, apparently checking her watch before looking up at the Pharaoh. "We'll give you a proper demonstration now; just give us five minutes to have everyone gather."

The Pharaoh nodded, making sure to smile before walking off. "My colleagues and I will be there shortly."

He waited until they had wandered off before glaring at the bank of screens on the wall. None of this was right; it felt off. Time itself felt stagnant around him. He shuddered at the feel before tearing his gaze away from the screens. He would figure out what was going on here before dealing with what his time sense was telling him. Hopefully one would correct the other. The Pharaoh turned and walked back towards the dissipating crowds that had milled around the food court, searching for Yugi and Tomoya within the group of people.

* * *

Tomoya looked up at Yugi came back over, trying not to blush as the young man sat down and tossed the credit stick back at him, Tomoya fumbling with it for a moment. He stared at the silver rectangle for a while before shoving it into his pocket, resting his chin on his hand as he looked around.

Travelling through space was nothing like he thought it was. Of course, he had stayed in the TARDIS for the few times that the Pharaoh and Yugi had gone out, treated to miniature heart attacks when the two of them would come racing back into the TARDIS, panting for breath. There had been that one memorable experience where Yugi had managed to lose his clothes and had run back into the TARDIS wearing only a towel. Tomoya blushed at the memory, sneaking a glance at Yugi before staring at the table.

He was attracted to the confident young man, the only one who had actually talked to him as an equal instead of putting him down. And Tomoya was grateful for this chance to travel among the stars, but it was uncomfortable for him to have to put himself out there, to step away from the TARDIS and the safety it represented. But he was doing it, for Yugi.

After all, Yugi had said himself that he and the Pharaoh were nothing more than friends. So he had a chance of winning this man over. And he hoped he would.

Tomoya looked up at a moan of delight, blushing at the look on Yugi's face. He tried to ignore the fact that Yugi was currently drinking something that had the consistency of a milkshake, fiercely ordering his body not to react. He should have had more self control than this.

He relaxed when Yugi finally opened his eyes, tensing when his tongue darted out to lick his lips as he set the drink down on the table, idly playing with the straw. "I think I just found heaven."

"Really?" Tomoya hoped that he didn't sound as spaced out as he felt at the moment. It wasn't fair that Yugi could do things like that and remain completely oblivious to what it was doing to him.

Yugi nodded, letting go of the straw and sitting back. "It's a milkshake that taste like a cheeseburger and fries. Perfect."

Tomoya shook his head, a smile crossing his face. "I'm not a fan of cheeseburgers."

Yugi laughed. "I don't think we can speak to each other anymore after that."

The two broke into laughter, the sound more natural than the other bouts of laughter that Tomoya had joined. He gave a content sigh at the end, shaking his head before looking around the room. By the sound of it, Yugi had gone back to his milkshake, which left Tomoya to the commentary in his head.

Nothing seemed to hint at the fact that they were far away from his home until he looked out one of the small portholes, his stomach dropping as he saw the view; pitch black space with just a corner of the Earth. And it made him homesick.

Tomoya groaned and rested his head in his arms, suddenly realizing that maybe this had been the wrong choice. There were plenty of people in the world. Why did he have to go chasing after the one that enjoyed this kind of thing?

He quickly looked up as Yugi rested a hand on his arm, the young man smiling before pulling his cell phone out of his pocket. "Call your family."

Tomoya looked at the cell phone before shaking his head. "They're all dead by now. Besides, it's way out of range."

"Just do it." Yugi said the words gently, a request instead of an order. Tomoya thought the young man threw a wink in there, but he couldn't be sure. His imagination had been working on overdrive recently.

He sighed and stared at the phone in his hand for a while before giving in; sure that Yugi wouldn't lie to him. He quickly dialed the long since memorized number, hesitantly lifting the phone to his ear. Tomoya had no idea what time is was back in the past, unsure if the phone would continue by linear time or just at a random time. He found himself gripping the plastic casing like it was his only lifeline and praying that his parents would answer instead of complete strangers.

Tomoya sighed in relief at the sound of his father's voice on the answering machine, disappointment settling in later when he realized that his parents were out. His father was probably on some business trip to America and his mother was probably at work; but it was still better than nothing. He smiled at Yugi, jumping when the tone that was the signal for him to leave a message sounded.

"Oh, hi Mom and Dad, it's Tomoya. I'm calling to say that I'm officially unemployed; something when wrong with the company and it fell through. But I'm traveling with some friends right now and I'll be back soon, promise. Don't worry, everything is fine otherwise." Tomoya hung up and stared at the phone for a moment before looking up at Yugi, aware of the smile that was pulling at the corners of his mouth.

Yugi shrugged and took another sip of his drink. "Told you."

"Yeah…" Tomoya stared at the phone, resting it on the table with his hand over the object. He shook his head, still marveling at the technology, getting lost in his thoughts on how the phone was even possible. He was forced out of them as a bell sounded, jumping at the sudden noise. Tomoya saw Yugi start and then tense, his head swinging to the source of the noise before relaxing.

The two of them watched the people file out from the food court, the stands closing up. Yugi sat up straighter, watching the crowds around him. Since the young man was sitting with his back to him, Yugi didn't see the Pharaoh returning, but Tomoya did. He forced himself not to show any emotion as the tall man walked over to Yugi, resting a hand on his shoulder and making Yugi jump.

The expression that crossed Yugi's face as he turned partially to look at the Pharaoh made Tomoya clutch the edge of the table so tightly that his knuckles turned white. It was obvious that they were more than just friends; there was no way such a look of complete adoration could be derived from a platonic relationship. But Yugi couldn't have lied to him, Yugi wasn't like that. It still hurt though.

"Found something?"

"Yes." The Pharaoh glanced at two women who were making their way back towards one of the doors. Tomoya suddenly longed for the Pharaoh to do something to break Yugi's heart completely, shatter it into pieces that only Tomoya could pick up. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to be happening soon. "We've got a demonstration on just what goes on here."

"Really?" Yugi was out of his seat now, the Pharaoh's hand lingering on his shoulder for a moment before sliding down Yugi's arm, the caress apparently accidental, but Tomoya saw it for what it really was. That caress, coupled with the look that the Pharaoh shot over his shoulder at him was a reminder, a reminder that Yugi was his.

Tomoya stood up, shoving Yugi's phone in his pocket as more of an afterthought before walking after them, flinching whenever the two brushed against each other. It was painfully obvious that they were flirting, except to the two. He shoved his fists into his pockets, glaring at the ground as he followed the two.

It was easy to see Yugi's infatuation with the man; the Pharaoh was the one who was taking him around the universe. To make it worse, the Pharaoh was smart, smarter than Tomoya, and that just annoyed him. While the Pharaoh was around, there would be no chance of him winning Yugi; the alien could dazzle Yugi without trying. Tomoya sighed and raked his fingers through his hair, resigning himself for the moment.

It wasn't giving up; it was a tactical retreat for the moment. He would figure out a way around this soon enough.

Tomoya followed the Pharaoh and Yugi into a circular room, blinking at the bright white walls. He glanced down at the slight dip in the floor, looking at the chair that sat in the center of a raised circle in the ground, the circle having spots of grey here and there with the shape of human hands etched into raised parts. Tomoya tipped his head to the side, confused by this strange arrangement, distracted from his thoughts as an African woman walked down the ramp to hop over the circle.

"Okay guys," she was addressing the people who were sitting with their legs crossed at each of the hand print stations, "we're doing this streaming by the book. Management sent down some people to review us and I don't want to lose my chance at promotion!"

Tomoya saw the twelve people nod, all closing their eyes in the next moment and reaching out to rest their hands in the slots that awaited them. He saw one of the people, a blonde, shy looking girl, flinch before her hands rested completely on the pads. Tomoya was about to comment on this, frowning as he already saw the Pharaoh and Yugi glance towards the girl.

Of course the Pharaoh would draw Yugi's attention to that and leave him with nothing to impress Yugi with. He was just as intelligent as this alien, but the Pharaoh was just too possessive.

He brought his attention back to the room, watching as the African woman sat in the chair, leaning back with a sigh. "Contact?" There were nods from around the room, the African woman glancing around before snapping her fingers.

Tomoya gasped, hearing Yugi make the same sound from the other side of the Pharaoh. He leaned forward against the railing, watching as a patch of skin in the woman's forehead opened outward into four pieces, revealing metal on the other side. Tomoya quickly clamped a hand over his mouth, trying not to gag at what lay in plain sight.

The woman's brain was visible through the small, circular opening in her forehead. He turned his head away, gagging as he listened to the conversation that Yugi and the Pharaoh were having.

"Is that?"

"Yes."

"Oh…" Tomoya looked back at them in time to see Yugi tipping his head to the side, seeming confused by something, not at all disgusted.

Tomoya lowered his head in shame. Of course he would seem weak in front of Yugi. It was only a matter of time until Yugi just forgot about him entirely. He stuffed his hands back in his pocket, eyes widening as his fingers brushed over the phone that was still in there. Maybe…

"Spike." He jumped at the crackle of electricity, watching with a mix of amazement and horror as what looked like lighting came down from the ceiling and jumped right through the hole in the woman's skull. He heard a muffled grunt from the ones around the circle, watching as they all stiffened. Tomoya leaned over the rail, staring at the people around the circle.

"What's going on?"

He tried not to flinch as the Pharaoh leaned closer to Yugi, their hands touching, and neither of them seemed inclined to move from that position. Tomoya felt his own hands tighten on the railing, wanting to shove the Pharaoh away from Yugi, but he forced himself to hold still. He bit his lip, trying not to look out of the corner of his eye at the two as the Pharaoh's shoulder touched Yugi, the two of them whispering in low voices, obviously already forgetting about Tomoya.

"The information is being uploaded right into her head." The Pharaoh jerked his head in the direction of the others who were in a circle around the chair. "They are processing the information and sending it out to the stations."

"Like a computer?" Yugi was rewarded with a nod, Tomoya biting his tongue to keep from saying anything. The young man scowled and turned to look at the people. "They are the ones broadcasting all the television?"

"Yes." The Pharaoh narrowed his eyes. "And this is all wrong."

Tomoya was about to speak when the broadcast was interrupted, the shy blonde gasping and jerking her hands away from the handprints. The information dump was interrupted, the stream disappearing. It took a moment for the rest to comprehend what had just happened, the African woman sitting up in her sit and glaring at her coworker. "Suki!"

"Sorry, there was a shock." The African woman rolled her eyes before swinging out of her chair, beginning to talk to the others between broadcasts, completely ignoring Suki.

Tomoya looked up from his observations about the group below as Yugi spoke, not surprised to see that he and the Pharaoh were still nearly leaning on each other. "Why is this wrong?"

"This technology shouldn't be here. It's too old."

He was about to demand why the Pharaoh was suddenly the expert when he saw the expression on Yugi's face. It was thinly veiled adoration, for this alien. Tomoya nearly growled, forcing himself to keep looking as he planned.

If Yugi was so impressed by a simple show of knowledge, then Tomoya would get all the information he needed to know for this time period and about the past. But would that be enough?

He glanced at them again before giving his head a small shake. No. Yugi wouldn't be easily swayed from his 'friend' just by that. Yugi deserved to have the universe at his fingertips and that took money. Tomoya knew things from his time working with Van Statten. He could probably figure out some advancements to add onto the human spaceships of his time, that would bring in the money he needed and give him the chance to give Yugi the universe.

Tomoya nodded to himself, walking away from the railing and towards the wall, forcing himself to stare away from Yugi and the Pharaoh. He didn't want to see what other sickening things that the alien was doing to try and take Yugi away from him. And that was probably just because the Pharaoh didn't like Tomoya.

He growled and clenched his hands into fists. He wouldn't put up with this. He would find a way to win Yugi over. Tomoya shoved one hand into his pocket, brushing his fingers over the cell phone that was there before smiling. Now, he had a plan.

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_Please read and review. Criticism is always welcome._


	23. Promotion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter Twenty-Two: Promotion**

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Promotion**

"_We all know what happens to nonentities - they get promoted!"_

_-The Editor_

He ran his hand through his blonde hair, staring at his fingers for a moment before shaking off the ice. The Editor snarled and leaned over the shoulder of one of his workers, ignoring the ice that was gathering on the person. His eyes flicked down to the screen in front of the person before looking back up at the main screen. "That first search had to be wrong. Look again. There is something here, I can sense it."

The Editor didn't even wait for the person to respond, turning on his heel and beginning to pace across the row of people, tapping his fingers against his chin. The first search that he had ordered a few minutes before the lunch break had ended had come back with nothing odd. But that couldn't be true. He had worked here long enough to trust his gut instinct.

He looked up a growl, a smile immediately plastered on his face as he stared at his boss. He clasped his hands together, stopping his pacing to look up. "Don't worry; we'll have this sorted in a moment, easily done."

The Editor turned on his heel, nearly running back to the people in front of the console, leaning over one of their shoulders and hissing when he saw that nothing was still coming up. He cursed and slammed a fist down on the console, blinking as the screen displayed its results. A smile slowly crossed his face, The Editor nodding as he read over something. "Oh, we've got it."

He gave the person that he was leaning over a friendly shove, having to reach out to stop them from tumbling over. The Editor grumbled a bit before setting the person back upright, glancing at the person on the other side of him. "Send down the promotion. Get them up here as soon as possible."

Once again, there was no response, the Editor stepped away to stare at the main screen, his eyes still moving over the view of the satellite that he was in control of. He tapped his fingers against his arm before shaking his head. There was still something, but he would focus on that later. His instincts were telling him that this was the bigger threat; smaller things could be dealt with.

The Editor stretched out his back, looking up towards his boss. "I told you that this would be dealt with. Easy."

There was a grumble, the Editor shrugging as an answer before looking back at the screen, crossing his arms as he pondered the next problem.

* * *

Suki looked up from her station, staring at the screens that flashed to life on one of the white walls. She saw the words that every reporter dreamed of appear, her mouth dropping open in shock as a pleasant female voice spoke over the intercom system. "Promotion to Floor 500."

She looked behind her, watching as Cathica closed her eyes and crossed her fingers. "Please be me. Please be me. Please be me."

Suki turned away from her friend, focusing on the screen as it continued to flash the message. Of course, Cathica would desire this more than her and they had never been the best of friends; allies would be the better word. You couldn't have friends on Satellite 5.

"Would Suki please report to Floor 500 for her promotion." Suki jumped at the announcement of her name, staring at the screen to see if something had gone wrong, because this wasn't right. Her eyes weren't deceiving her, it was her name and picture up there. She looked back at Cathica, not surprised to find the African woman fuming.

This sudden promotion confused her. Cathica had been filing the paperwork for a promotion ever since she had been at the station while Suki had done nothing. She honestly just didn't want to be noticed. She was happy enough where she was, for now. She could apply herself to move up later if the right moment came.

Apparently, that plan was no longer viable.

Suki forced herself to look at Cathica, giving a hopeless shrug before standing up, reaching out to clutch her purse to her. She really didn't have any more belongings to call her own. Unlike the rest of the reporters, this would never truly be her home. Every chance she got she returned, happy to get away from the environment. But she always came back, she had to come back.

She moved from her place, briefly looking up at the screens to memorize the numbers that were flashing. That was her ticket up to Floor 500, those eight numbers. Suki shrugged and began to make her way out of the room, flinching when Cathica rested a hand on her shoulder, pretending to steer her out. Of course the others would think she was in shock and Cathica was the world's greatest actor.

The two of them walked out, Suki surprised that the three from management followed them as well. She thought that they would be leaving. After all, something had stopped the transmission, enough to cause her to react out of line. The report would have to contain something about that. For once, she was glad that she was getting out, Cathica would have yelled at her endlessly for that.

Their group stopped at the elevator, Suki shifting her purse before turning to look at the people there. She gave a bright smile, not really feeling the emotion that was sure to be behind it. She swallowed before reaching out a hand, the smaller person from the management the only one to take it and shake it. He gave her a reassuring smile, Suki almost able to forget why she hated management with that expression. "Good luck."

"Thanks." She gave a brighter smile, adjusting her purse and pretending to be happy. "I can't believe this. I'm going to Floor 500."

The elevator doors opened, Suki looking over her shoulder before stepping in, waving goodbye to everyone. The motion faltered when she heard Cathica beginning to talk, like Suki was already gone. She sighed, looking over to the side and typing the series of eight numbers into the keypad, watching the doors slide closed. Even with everything going on, she still would have liked to have one friend.

Suki sighed, staring at her feet as the elevator rose. Cathica wouldn't miss her, no one would. Her room on the floor below would be taken by the next reporter and the cycle would repeat itself. She shook her head, raising it as the elevator lurched to a stop, taking a step forward. No, that wouldn't happen.

Cold air rushed into the elevator as the doors opened, Suki wrapping her arms around herself and gasping in surprise. She glanced at the display to check that she was on the right floor, quickly hurrying out the doors when the display revealed that she was indeed in the right place.

Suki shivered, her mouth falling open in shock as she looked around her. There were all sorts of rumors about Floor 500, common knowledge about the mysterious place. And rumors were all they had, because no one came back. But, Suki looked around, her breath coming out as a visible cloud, this was nothing like the walls of gold that were talked about.

Everything was frozen, ice hanging off every surface that would allow it, the floor covered in ice too. Suki carefully slid her way forward; her eyes trained on the plastic curtain that hung over one part of the room. She tipped her head to one side, looking back at the elevator before walking cautiously forward. She freed up one of her hands, cautiously touching the plastic before moving the ice coated sheet slightly so she could walk in.

The familiar set up of the broadcasting station was what met her eyes, Suki relaxing a bit before she walked deeper into the room, letting the curtain fall behind her. Her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, one hand flying up to cover her mouth as she stared at the frozen skeletons that surrounded her, all of them sitting at their stations.

Suki yelped and rushed out of the curtain, nearly slipping on the ice. She reached for something to keep her upright, hissing as her hand landed on frozen metal, turning her head to look at what she had caught herself on. Light streaming from a nearby doorway caught her attention, Suki carefully removing her hand from the metal and wincing as skin tore.

Cradling her hand, Suki slid over to the doorway, sighing as she saw someone standing and waiting for her. The man motioned her onward, Suki taking in his crisp suit and bleach blonde hair quickly before stepping towards him, dropping her hand to her side. She carefully crossed the icy floor, forcing herself not to touch the railing to help her up the stairs, glancing over to see people working at a console. But there was something wrong with these people; all of them looking nearly frozen as well.

"Hello Eva." She tensed at the name, looking up at the man in shock. The man covered his mouth, pretending to look embarrassed. "Or do you prefer Eva Saint Julienne? Because the name you gave me on your resume…it was a lie."

Suki glared at him before reaching into her purse and pulling out a pistol and aiming it at the man's head. Her fingers easily found the safety and flicked it off with the ease of years of practice, the sweet and innocent look that she had perfected over the years dropping off of her face.

Her resolve wavered as the man tilted his head to the side, raising an eyebrow as he stared at the weapon that she held. "So it was definitely a lie."

"The Freedom Fifteen has been monitoring your broadcasts, and it's all a lie. You skew the facts, creating this corrupt system."

The man laughed and shrugged. "We are reporters, are we not?" His eyes narrowed, glaring at her. "Freedom Fifteen, I thought they were wiped out?"

Suki gritted her teeth, nearly snarling at the man. "Because of you, because we questioned things. But I got inside and now, I'm going to kill the man who orchestrated all of this."

To her surprise, the man chuckled, shaking his head. "Oh now, I'm not the one in charge. I take my orders just like you do."

Her gun wavered. But this man had to be in charge, he carried the aura of one in power. She couldn't be that far off, could she? Suki shook her head, getting a better grip on her pistol and resuming her glare. "Then who is."

The man simply pointed above his head, Suki following his gaze. She reacted immediately to the growl, firing off the rounds in her pistol. Suki cursed as the gun ran out of bullets, throwing it aside and looking back up. Her eyes widened and she only had time to scream before she was killed.

* * *

"I hope that she's happy." Yugi turned at the snort from Cathica, wanting to glare at the woman. Why did she insist on acting like this? Of course that attitude had gotten her this far, but Yugi could tell that this was as far as she would go if she acted like this.

"She'll be in paradise up there, wall of gold and the best rooms and food while I'm stuck down here. And after I filled out all those forms…"

"She'll come down to visit."

Cathica gave him a sideways glance, Yugi feeling the Pharaoh tense as the look implied that the young man was stupid. The African woman shook her head. "No one comes back from Floor 500."

Yugi watched her walk off, his mouth dropping open in shock. She would just walk away knowing that she would never see her friend again? And she was alright with that? Yugi shook his head, unable to comprehend how this woman had survived keeping everything internalized and without some kind of support system.

A light touch on his arm startled him, Yugi turning to find Tomoya looking nervous beside him. The blonde gave Yugi a smile before looking around, rubbing his forehead. "Yugi, this is all…um…could I…"

"Sure." Yugi waved him off with a kind smile. At least Tomoya had tried to experience something new. Now he could go and relax in the TARDIS. Yugi blinked as the blonde didn't move away, belatedly remembering that Tomoya didn't have a way to get back into the TARDIS. Yugi sighed and pulled the key from around his neck, shivering a bit as the metal moved against his skin, before passing it over to Tomoya. The blonde nodded his thanks and walked away.

He didn't know why he felt that he had to wear the key around his neck, but he felt better when his connection to the TARDIS was hidden underneath his shirt, always there in case he needed it. And now, he felt odd not having it there. Yugi shrugged, the motion a cover up for the shiver that ran down his body.

The Pharaoh looked back at him, raising an eyebrow. Yugi gave a nod, the two of them drifting to one end of the room that had been the food court during the break. It was obvious what they had to do now, get whatever was going on here back on track. Yugi smiled and broke into a jog to catch up with the Pharaoh, the Time Lord leading him over to a panel in the wall.

Yugi leaned on the next panel over, watching as the Pharaoh took out his sonic screwdriver and opened the panel, keeping the screwdriver out as he poked around in the wires. The young man sighed and leaned back against the wall. "So, what's the matter? How is the technology wrong? Too advanced?"

"Too outdated." Yugi slumped, staring at the Pharaoh with a look of shock on his face. That was it? In everything that he had read and watched on television the problem had always been that the technology was advancing too fast, never too slowly.

He stared at the Pharaoh, watching the Time Lord work. "You've got to be kidding."

"I'm not." The Pharaoh pulled himself out of the tangle of wires, pulling a small screen out with him. He stared at it before leaning over the back and fiddling with the wires there. "This place is stagnant. I can feel it."

Yugi knew better than to argue with this. The Pharaoh would probably shoot him down with an insult to his species. He sighed and watched the Pharaoh work, looking up as Cathica walked over to them, looking furious. He stood up straight as the African woman stormed over to them, the Pharaoh ignoring her completely as he worked. "You two aren't from management. I just asked."

"Your mistake then." The Pharaoh shot her a look over his shoulder before going back to work. "You don't think."

"I do think! How do you think I got this job?"

The Pharaoh straightened up, turning his attention to the screen. Yugi turned to face him, staring at the screen and watching the display come up. He watched as the Pharaoh frowned, leaning closer to the small screen and messing with the display. Yugi let him work, leaning back against his wall and closing his eyes. The Pharaoh would tell him when something came up.

"You two are insane." Yugi opened one eye to look at Cathica before shrugging, relaxing again to the sounds of the Pharaoh fiddling with the screen. Yugi thought he heard a few low curses before the sound of a slap, smiling at the show of temper. Of course, the Pharaoh would never admit to it.

He lifted his head and looked up, suddenly wishing that he had worn a lighter weight shirt. He was burning up just standing here.

Yugi frowned and turned around, resting a hand against the wall, part of him unsurprised that the walls were warmer than the rest of the air, the vents were probably in there. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the wall. Why was all the hot air being pushed down here? Yugi pulled his hand away, turning to look at the Pharaoh as he stood up straight, staring at the screen.

The Pharaoh looked like he was about to speak when Cathica leaned forward. "You guys shouldn't be doing this. You could get in trouble!"

The Time Lord scoffed and rolled his eyes. "And you call yourself a reporter."

"I _am_ a reporter!"

"The last time I checked, reporters asked questions." The Pharaoh shot a smug smile back at her before concentrating on the screen again. "Although that could be a good thing."

"But how will we get the juicy information about celebrities?" Yugi smirked leaning over the screen to block the Pharaoh's line of sight, earning a glare from the Time Lord.

"Humans."

"You love us."

"Define love."

Yugi laughed and allowed the Pharaoh to finally see the screen, shifting so he was reading it right side up. He stared at the read out, the smile on his face disappearing as he followed the lines on the screen. "You want questions, why is it so hot down here?"

"See." The Pharaoh smiled at him, the gesture that he made almost hitting Yugi in the side of the head. "That's what you're supposed to do. You should be fired."

"Excuse me?"

"Yugi asked the right question." The young man smirked and nodded, turning the Pharaoh's attention back to the screen. He waited for the Pharaoh to come up with his answer, watching as a frown crossed the man's face. "They're venting all the hot air down here."

"From Floor 500?" Yugi looked up, eyes wide.

"Yes." The Pharaoh pushed the screen away, crossing his arms and glaring at the floor as he thought. "Everything leads back to here. This station has been broadcasting so it's the place where the threats have been spoken about. But-"

"There aren't any." Yugi interrupted the Pharaoh, picking up on his train of thought. "Which means that they have been lying. This place is corrupt!"

"Exactly. Which means the reporters here are useless!"

Cathica made a sound that reminded Yugi of a snarl. "I am just trying to keep my job and get promoted."

"Oh, great path for a journalist." The Pharaoh turned around, obviously done with her. Yugi hesitated before following the Pharaoh. Cathica wasn't going to help them, and she wasn't going to see what was going on here. It was a hopeless case. Yugi sighed and ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head. He should just focus on this instead of worrying about Tomoya.

The man that they had picked up from 2012 had been acting strange ever since he met them. And Yugi would have to be blind to miss Tomoya's attraction to him, but that didn't mean that he wanted to acknowledge it. He already had Miho, but she thought that he was dead. Still, that was no reason to just begin another relationship without breaking up with her. Yugi wanted to groan and hit his head against the wall. When had this gotten so complicated? Before, it had just been the two of them traveling around and enjoying themselves. Sure, there had been danger, but it had still been fun. Bringing Tomoya had probably been a bad thing.

He looked up as the Pharaoh gave a confused sound, looking at the screen as a series of eight numbers flashed across the screen. Yugi reached up to pull the screen closer to him, absently pushing wires away. "They're promoting us?"

A glance up at the Pharaoh showed that the Time Lord was staring at the screen with narrowed eyes. "It seems so."

Yugi nodded, reading over the numbers again, knowing that the Pharaoh would have already memorized them. He stepped out of the way as the Pharaoh shoved the screen back into the mess of wires, the question that he meant to ask dying as the Time Lord turned and began to walk towards the elevator. Of course they would investigate this, knowing full well that it was probably a trap.

He ignored Cathica tagging along after them, jogging to catch up with the Pharaoh as the walked over to the elevator. The Time Lord stopped in front of the doors, looking back at Yugi as the young man came jogging up, a smile on his face. The Time Lord turned to look at Cathica, the elevator doors choosing that moment to slide open. Yugi was about to step in when he was held back by a hand that was carefully placed on his shoulder.

The Pharaoh had turned to look at Cathica, looking her over before shaking his head. "I would offer for you to come with us, but you wouldn't."

"No." Cathica shook her head. "You two are insane. There is no way-"

"Thought not." Yugi shoulder was released, the young man stepping into the elevator. He turned as the Pharaoh walked in after him, the Time Lord looking at the keypad that was waiting for them. His fingers hovered over the keys before finally typing in the code. 32754263. The numbers showed up on the small screen and flashed once before the screen went dark.

Yugi stared at the doors of the elevator, watching as they closed and taking a deep breath. Here was where he would have to be on the top of his game. A single mistake could stop this amazing life he was leading, and he never wanted that to happen. Yugi slowly opened his eyes at the feeling of something holding onto his hand. A smile crossed his face, Yugi forcing himself not to look down at his hand. The Pharaoh would never admit that he was holding his hand. If Yugi acknowledged it, the Pharaoh would back away.

Because they were just friends, after all.

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_Alright, starting from here (as I have announced various times) this story will be posted on Wednesdays and Fridays. Please, enjoy. :D_

_Read and review. Constructive criticism is welcome._


	24. Editor in Chief

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter Twenty-Three: Editor-in-Chief**

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Editor-in-Chief**

"_Create a climate of fear and it's easy to keep the borders closed. It's just a matter of emphasis. The right word in the right broadcast repeated often enough can destabilize an economy, invent an enemy, change a vote."_

_-The Editor_

Tomoya assumed that he had found himself an observation deck, but he wasn't sure. He was trying his hardest not to look down at the Earth below him. It was one thing to just assume that one was in space, it was another thing to actually confronted with the fact. Tomoya sighed and stared at the terminal that was in front of him, trying to figure the thing out. It seemed ridiculously simple, just place his hand on the pad, but something told him that it wasn't that simple.

He swallowed nervously before pulling Yugi's phone from his pocket, staring at it. Was he really going to do this? It seemed like something that wouldn't be tolerated? But, it was worth it. He already knew that. If it got him Yugi, it was worth it.

Tomoya flipped the phone open before dialing his number, breathing a sigh of relief when he got the voice mail again. "Hey, please don't erase this, I'm going to need this. Alright," he shifted the phone and pressed his hand against the pad, watching as information popped up and reading it as it came up, "the smartest investment would be in the computer industry and some of the space programs. Avoid weapons because those markets begin to fall…"

He gasped as the information stream came to a stop, wincing the next moment as the voice mail cut him off. Tomoya gave a low curse and hung up the phone, staring at the message that was flashing on the screen. "Floor 16? Medical ward?"

Tomoya shifted nervously before doing what it said. He still didn't have enough information. And Yugi deserved the world.

He stepped into an elevator, hitting the button for the 16th floor and then feeling the elevator rock slightly as it made the journey downwards. Tomoya swallowed nervously and fiddled with the phone in one pocket, his fingers knocking against the credit stick that was also in that pocket. At least he had a way to pay for this.

He was taken aback when the doors opened, revealing rows of simple desks with people sitting behind them. The blonde cautiously inched out of the elevator, quickly spotting and moving to a desk that wasn't already engaged. Tomoya gave a nervous smile at the woman who just waved him over, folding her hands. "Yes?"

"Um…one of the computers sent me down here…"

"Ah. Is your implant malfunctioning?"

Tomoya stared at her for a minute, unable to comprehend what she was talking about. Then he remembered. People in this station had those things to be able to broadcast the news. He blushed and ducked his head. "I…ah…I don't have one. I'm just a student from the University of…Mars."

Surprisingly, the woman didn't laugh at him, just rolled her eyes and stood up. "They never prepare their students well. Come with me."

Tomoya hesitated, his hand reaching into his pocket to pull out the credit stick. "I can only afford what this will give me."

The woman looked back at him, one shapely eyebrow rising before she smiled. "Well then, you can afford anything. You have unlimited credit."

He stared at the silver rectangle in his hand before following the woman into a room off to one side. Tomoya looked around the room, surprised that it looked like a medical facility. He cleared his throat nervously before stepping forward, allowing himself to be guided into the chair. The woman gave him a smile before beginning to circle around him.

"You have two options. The first is a chip that will allow you limited access to the computers. It will be installed at the base of your brainstem and it is completely painless. The second option is the direct download which will require some more time, but you will have all the access you need."

Tomoya swallowed nervously before giving a short nod, more to himself than in answer to any question. "The second one."

He hissed as a needle was pushed into his arm, turning his head to look at the woman and watch what she was doing. "A light anesthetic."

Tomoya nodded, already feeling less coherent. He saw the woman moving about the room, hearing the sound of metal instruments being moved about before there was a faint pressure on his forehead. While it wasn't painful, it was annoying. Tomoya wanted to frown at the sensation, but found that he couldn't, resigning himself to sit it out. Briefly, there was the touch of metal on his skin before that was gone.

He didn't know how long he had been under, drifting in and out of consciousness. Tomoya blinked and shook his head, staring at the woman who was beaming at him. She held out a mirror, Tomoya taking it with shaky hands. He stared at his forehead, surprised to see that there was nothing there. He glanced over at the woman, who simply snapped her fingers.

There was the soft whir of machinery before his forehead opened up, just like he had seen before in the news room. Tomoya gave a squeak of surprise, reaching up with trembling fingers to brush over a piece of metal, leaning back with a startled sigh. He looked over at the woman, a bit frightened by her serene smile. "It's activated by a snap for now, that's the default, but you can change it to anything."

Shaking, Tomoya raised his hand and snapped his fingers, eyes widening as he watched the opening in his head close up. He ran his fingers over the smooth skin again before setting the mirror down, nodding his thanks. The credit stick was given to the woman to scan before Tomoya walked back to the elevator, nearly collapsing once he was back inside.

He couldn't believe that he had done that, but it was the only way to exist in this world. Besides, the Pharaoh would know a way to remove it, or he would beg a trip into the future to get it out of his head. For now, it would remain because it would help him.

Tomoya pushed himself off the wall of the elevator, walking confidently back into the food court on the floor where they had first shown up. Tomoya's hand found the cell phone in his pocket, the blonde man hesitating between the viewing deck or the newsroom, a peek into the latter showing that it was deserted. Tomoya swallowed before walking in, settling himself on the chair before snapping his fingers, wincing at the sound of the device working.

He took out the phone and flipped it up, redialing his number and listening as he went right to voice mail again. "Mom, Dad, I know that this will sound like a bunch of static, along with some of the messages after it, but I swear that I can translate it. Please, don't delete these, they are very important to me." Tomoya swallowed, switching the phone to speaker. "Alright. Spike."

His eyes widened as the information flowed into him, hearing it crackle as it had no where else to go in the end, a static buzz filling the room. Tomoya found himself distracted from the buzz by the play of images in his mind, quickly controlling the information dump to only the pertinent things, things that could help him in the future. He felt his body go limp as it began to process the information, a faint smile crossing his face.

The Pharaoh might have won most of the battles, but he was winning this war.

* * *

He didn't know why he had taken Yugi's hand in the elevator. His first thought was that it was away from all the prying eyes and he felt safer this way. Which was confusing to him because he wanted to scream to the whole world that Yugi was his, even if he wasn't sure that he meant it in that fashion.

Yugi was _his_ companion, the one who would follow him anywhere through space and time. The one who looked at the universe with astonishment and allowed him to experience it all for the first time again. Yugi was _his_ savior, keeping him from spiraling into the despair that had held him since Gallifrey had fallen. And no one was to do anything to harm him, Yugi was too precious.

The Dalek had showed him one thing; to lose Yugi was to lose everything that kept him alive. A scary concept, but one that he was accepting quickly.

The Pharaoh looked down at the young man, discretely watching as Yugi made himself look forward. He was probably wondering why the Pharaoh had taken his hand in the first place. He didn't make a habit of it. Yugi had his annoying girlfriend. The Pharaoh meant nothing to him.

But why did that thought hurt?

The Pharaoh swore mentally, turning his gaze to the nearest wall. This was no time to be falling in love with this human! After all Yugi had done for him, that was still no excuse. Still, he had a feeling that this would turn out badly, at least for him.

He was relieved when the elevator doors opened, dropping Yugi's hand as he took the first step out, scowling at the ice that covered all the surfaces around them. He heard the human walking out behind him, turning slightly in time to see Yugi flailing to keep his balance. The Pharaoh smirked, watching as Yugi finally caught himself, the human blushing bright red as he realized that the Pharaoh had seen him blunder. "Careful. It's slick."

"I know that!" Yugi glared at him before staring at the floor, cautiously poking it with his sneaker before beginning to move away from the doors of the elevator. "Are we on the right floor? Cathica made it sound like some sort of paradise."

The Pharaoh snorted, mentally agreeing with Yugi. "Rumors aren't always true."

"Well-" The sound of doors slamming shut made them both turn around, Yugi actually falling down. They stared at the closed elevator doors, the Pharaoh automatically looking around for other exits and sighing when there weren't any. He glanced down at Yugi, refraining from offering his hand to help the human up. He was sure that, if he got a hold of Yugi's hand again, he wouldn't let it go.

Instead, he shoved his hands in his pockets, walking towards the stream of light that was coming from a nearby door. The Pharaoh looked back over his shoulder, seeing that Yugi had managed to get up and was carefully making his way across the slippery floor towards him. His attention was distracted from Yugi by the man who came to stand in the doorway.

The man inclined his head before waving them in, the Pharaoh hesitating before following the silent order, Yugi slipping and sliding behind him. He reached out to catch Yugi's arm as they walked up the short flight of stairs that led to where the man was waiting for them, the limb yanked out of his grasp as Yugi shot forward. He took a step back, eyes widening as his companion dropped to his knees beside Suki, shaking the girl.

"Suki? Suki can you hear me?" The body rocked back and forth, Suki's hands never leaving the pad they seemed to be attached to. Yugi pulled away from her shivering and staring at his hands. "She's frozen. What have you done with her?"

The man just chuckled, rocking back onto his heels and staring at the screen. "How is it that you two can exist? I've been scanning the system ever since you two arrived and I've gotten nothing. You two don't exist; walking through the world without making a single mark."

The Pharaoh ignored him, glancing over at Yugi before moving over to rest a hand on Suki's shoulder, removing it seconds later. Yugi was right; the young woman was frozen and stiff, almost like a corpse. His eyes narrowed at the thought, turning to glare at the man. Despite the man's flippant attitude he wouldn't be a push over; it was a cover like the Pharaoh's own indifference.

"I assume that you are the one in charge."

The man flipped a hand back and forth. "More or less."

"Then you are the one to complain to?"

"Ah," the man nodded and rubbed his hands together, "yes, that would be me. No need to bother the higher ups with such things."

"Right." The Pharaoh pulled Yugi up from the ground, leading him away from Suki even as the young man struggled. "Then I demand that you close this station."

"Oh," the man's face fell, "another one of them. Fine. Restrain them!"

The Pharaoh turned his head to look as two of the corpses started moving. They immediately made a beeline for him, Yugi ducking around them and racing out. The Pharaoh smiled and went to follow his companion. A hand fell on his arm, yanking him back with surprising strength, a grunt escaping him. The Pharaoh turned his head, his free arm being caught in that moment as the other corpse grabbed onto it. He was dragged back towards the center of the room, looking up at a yelp.

Another corpse had risen from the controls, lumbering over to snatch up Yugi before returning to the center of the room, the young man fighting the whole way. Yugi clawed at the person who held him, his short nails just slipping over the ice that coated the person's arm.

The clanking of metal brought the Pharaoh's attention back to the man in charge, watching the suited man struggle with a black metal contraption before motioning them over. The Pharaoh was dragged over, lunging forward when the man motioned for Yugi to be put into the manacles that were attached to the thing first.

"Let me go!" Yugi tried to run as soon as the corpse released him, but he was caught again and thrown back against the black bracing of the back of the metal machine, the man taking the moment to clamp the manacles around Yugi's wrists. The young man gave a whimper before trying to break free, settling for glaring at the man when he couldn't.

The man smirked and looked back at the Pharaoh, producing a remote from his pocket. "I suggest you don't resist."

"And why is that?" The Pharaoh growled out the words between clenched teeth. When the man didn't respond immediately, he pulled free of the two that were holding him, shoving them aside and glaring back at the man. To his surprise the man in the suit merely shrugged, pressing a button on the remote.

Yugi screamed, writhing as electricity surged through the metal structure. The Pharaoh froze, all plans of intimidation slipping away. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the man smile, remaining tense for a second before allowing himself to slump, that sign of surrender enough for the man. He gave a nod before pressing the button again, the current running through the metal stopping. Yugi gasped before slumping, the Pharaoh automatically taking a step forward.

He tensed as the cold hands of the corpses dragged him over to the metal contraption, beginning to struggle. The Pharaoh paused as the man's finger hovered over the button, looking between him and Yugi. It didn't take much for him to make his decision, allowing the two corpses to drag him to the other two manacles on the contraption. He was snapped in, ignoring the cold touch of the corpses as he looked over at Yugi.

The young man was only standing probably because the metal was holding him up. Yugi was breathing heavily, his legs and arms trembling with his eyes closed. The Pharaoh shifted, bumping into Yugi's. The soft touch made the young man stir, purple eyes flickering open and staring at the floor before Yugi flinched and looked up. Relieved that Yugi was alright, the Pharaoh turned to look at the man, watching warily as the man twirled the remote in his hand. It was a reminder that this situation had gone out of his control.

The man sighed, leaning back against the console as the corpses wandered back over, placing their hands back on the pads. He glanced over his dead workers before looking back at the Pharaoh and Yugi. "Now, let's get this started. I am the Editor and it is _my_ job to find out who _you_ are."

* * *

She must have paced in front of that elevator for a good ten minutes, her gaze never leaving the floor. Cathica resisted the urge to throw her hands into the air, not wanting to give such an obvious show of distress, it would hurt her chances at getting a promotion. But, then again, did she want the promotion that badly anymore?

Cathica hissed and clamped her hands over her ears, cursing those two men. She was fine before they had put these ideas in her head, happy with her life on Satellite 5. She had been the best reporter, rising quickly through the ranks until she got here, stuck here with the rest of the people praying for a promotion to Floor 500. While not content, she had resigned herself to this and there were times that she had enjoyed it.

But now she was questioning everything, falling back into patterns that had gotten her to the news satellite in the first place. Cathica had dropped them when she realized that her way of thinking would get her nowhere. And she desperately wanted to go somewhere. Now she was slipping back, questioning everything and searching for the tidbits that would make everything make sense.

Yugi pointed it out before, something that she had long since grown used to. It was hotter in the lower levels, getting cooler as you moved up. Cathica remembered having to wear a jacket her first few days on this floor, not used to the almost normal room temperature from the boiling lower levels. And she had never questioned that in her stay here, preferring just to pretend that it was something wrong with _her_.

She had lost everything she had valued when she was starting out in this business. Cathica paused in her pacing, looking back to the panel that the Pharaoh had been fiddling with. It would be so easy to get the code for the elevator. It was a simple matter of pulling that screen out and memorizing the numbers.

Something was pushing her onward, Cathica walking across half of the room before she realized what she was doing. The African woman gulped, pausing in the middle of what would become the cafeteria in another few hours. And she felt like she could stand there for those few hours debating this issue. But that something was urging her to look into this. Besides, the way that she saw it, it was a free trip up to Floor 500. Maybe she could convince the people in charge that she would best serve them there.

Finally satisfied by her reasoning, Cathica crossed the rest of the space to the panel, wincing at the heat that was coming out of it. She hissed quietly before pulling the metal back a bit, just enough for her to pull out the screen. Taking a quick glance around to be sure that no one was watching her, Cathica read over the numbers, the same ones that had been there before. She smiled to herself, repeating the numbers under her breath before she rushed over to the elevator, swiping her identification card to open the doors. Cathica paused, noticing that the door to her broadcast room was partially open, light being thrown oddly through the room.

Cathica took a step away from the elevator, intending to go and see what was going on, stopped by the soft chime as the elevator reached her floor. She watched the doors open, staring at them before making her choice. She stepped into the interior, reaching over to type the eight numbers into the keypad, staring at the broadcast room until the doors blocked her view.

She swallowed nervously, nearly jigging in place, a habit that she had forced herself to break. Cathica too a deep breath, letting it out slowly before smoothing her hands over her blouse, staring at the doors.

This was all just to prove that those two were wrong and nothing else. The possibility of promotion was another one of her motives. And that was it. She was not curious. She was not questioning the order of things.

Her mouth dropped open as the doors opened, looking over the frozen floor before stepping out onto it. This was nothing like she expected. Cathica shivered and rubbed her hands over her exposed arms, carefully picking her way to a plastic sheet that was hanging haphazardly from the ceiling, shadows behind it attracting her attention.

The African woman paused at the sound of voices from behind her, turning to watch light leak out from a door. She shifted nervously before retracing her steps, recognizing one of the voices as the Pharaoh's.

"You could at least give me a hint."

"Do you take me for an idiot, Editor?" The distinctive snap of the Pharaoh's voice echoed easily through the room.

"Oh, so you won't give me your names?"

"Yes."

"So you won't cooperate?"

"Yes."

"Is that all I'm going to get?" Cathica crept up to the stairwell, shifting so she could hide in the shadows, peeking up at the people that were moving on the floor. Her eyes widening at the sight of the two being restrained by metal and a man, the one that had been called Editor, was pacing in front of them. "I was hoping to have a conversation."

"Keep hoping."

The Editor paused at this, seeming to pout. His expression changed in the next moment, the man clutching his stomach and laughing, shaking his head; the motion causing ice crystals to fall from his blonde hair. "You sound like you have a choice in this."

"We do."

"No, you're just like the rest of the human race." The Editor stood up straight, wiping fake tears from his eyes. "Cattle."

"This is the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire, where-"

"Humans are _allowed_ to live," the Editor smiled as he interrupted the Pharaoh, rocking backwards, " and where they are guided by my boss and your master the Mighty Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxarodenfoe." The Editor made a sweeping motion with his hands, drawing their attention to the ceiling. He chuckled at their expressions, shaking his head. "A good boss, but likes things a bit too nippy for my tastes. Ah well, we all have to put up with some things…"

Cathica covered her mouth with her hand, eyes widening at the mass of pink and red flesh that was attached to the ceiling, shuddering in revulsion as a mouth extended down from the rest, white teeth flashing.

_That_ was what she had been working for this entire time? _That_ was what she had worked to hard to be promoted to this floor for? Cathica stared at the other humans working the controls, disturbed by their state. She shuddered, suddenly hating herself. How come she hadn't questioned; hadn't seen this coming? She was a reporter, damn it!

She looked back over at the Pharaoh, shaking her head. He had been right; she had stopped questioning and just assumed things to keep herself on track. She had stopped being a reporter a long time ago. Her hands clenched into fists, ready to take action, but she wasn't sure what she could do.

"You!" Yugi shouted the word out, not flinching when the Editor whipped out a remote, pointing it at the metal contraption. "You and that thing are the ones who've done this. They have chips in their head and…and it's disgusting!"

"And that's enough from you." The Editor pressed a button on the remote, Yugi screaming and writhing as electricity surged through the device. Cathica gasped, staring in horror as the Editor let the torture continue on for a while before tensing and then, almost reluctantly, pressing the button to turn off the electricity. Yugi slumped again, the Pharaoh craning his neck to look at the younger male, Cathica finding herself riveted by the Editor.

The man had backed up; his head tipped back up to look at the ceiling, blinking rapidly for a moment before looking back down at them, a twisted smile on his face. "Worried about your little companion, Pharaoh?"

The Pharaoh's head jerked to look at the Editor, his eyes wide. The Editor smiled, nodding. "You're worried about Yugi Mutou…and you're not even from this time. You came here with…the TARDIS. Ah, what a wonderful machine."

From the way that the Pharaoh was acting, the Editor was getting all the information right. Cathica frowned and placed her hands on the cold metal. The two of them had never told her anything but their names, but they hadn't given out any other information, letting the reporters make assumptions about them. So how was the Editor getting this information unless…it was directly from someone who knew this about them.

Speaking of that, where was the third member of the group.

"Where are you getting this?" The Pharaoh snapped out the question, the Editor just laughing at the man's anger.

"Your little friend." He motioned at the main screen, a picture of the blonde appearing on the screen. Cathica's mouth dropped open in shock as she recognized the room, it was her broadcast room. So there had been someone there! She stumbled away from the stairs, her mind rushing to come to any sort of plan. "Oh, and he has a key to this marvelous machine."

From around the blonde's neck, a thin chain began to rise, revealing the key at the end of the chain. It moved from around his neck, hovering in the air. And that was the last straw for Cathica.

Ignoring the layer of ice over the floor, she rushed away from the door, heading back for the curtain. Hopefully there would be something useful there. She stumbled, sliding across the last few feet on her knees. Cathica grabbed onto the bottom of the curtain, yanking it roughly aside and diving for the other side.

She glanced at the corpses, not really seeing them. There were more important things at stake. Cathica lunged for the chair in the center of the partial ring, using it to haul herself up before roughly shoving the corpse out of the way. With a practiced motion, Cathica swung herself up into the chair, settling herself back and snapping her fingers at the same time.

"Ready and spike." She didn't bother with the safety measures, hacking through the network and searching out her newsroom. Every reporter knew how to do this, something that they would never admit to each other. They knew it because they could always, if they became desperate enough, hack into another's broadcast and sabotage it. But that practice had been halted when the terrorist threats to the empire had started.

Cathica bit her lip, easily finding where the Pharaoh's blonde friend was, raising her eyes to glare and the ceiling. A laugh escaped her, the sound unfamiliar to her. It had been a good long while since she had laughed on her own. The sound was cut off as the flow of information wavered, Cathica gritting her teeth as she fought it. Those idiots who still worked for the Editor were trying to cut her off, and she wouldn't allow it.

She raised a trembling arm up, pointing towards where the Editor was. "Oh no. This is for not giving me that promotion!"

Cathica easily jumped from the hacking of her own newsroom to the heating and cooling system of the satellite. What she needed now was a distraction, and that was easily done. A simple twist of her mind and the air conditioning for this section was turned off. What that would do to the creature, she had no idea, but it was enough of a distraction. With a sadistic smile, Cathica cranked the heating to its max, sending the warm air up to this floor before turning back to her original task.

"Take that."

__

* * *

_Please read and review. Criticism is always welcome._


	25. Minus One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter Twenty-Four: Minus One**

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Minus One**

"_I only take the best, I've got Rose."_

_-The Doctor_

Yugi jumped as the creature – even his mind couldn't comprehend how to pronounce the name- screamed and began to writhe above them, turning his head to see some of the icicles beginning to drip steadying. His mind, still foggy from the two bouts of electricity that had been dealt to him, realized what was going on; someone was helping them escape. But he was willing to bet that Tomoya had nothing to do with it.

He looked back down as the Editor jumped backward, the remote dropping out of his hand and sliding across the floor towards them. Yugi reacted immediately, stretching out a leg to draw it closer, hissing as he almost sent it flying further away. It was their only hope to get out of here. A few more seconds of fumbling and he had the remote within reach.

Yugi stared at the contraption before giving a mental shrug and pressing the next button over from the one that the Editor had been using to electrocute him. Surprisingly, it didn't send an electric shock to the Pharaoh, something that he had suddenly thought could happen the second he had pressed the button, but undid his manacles.

The Pharaoh jerked forward, giving his wrists a rub before reaching into his coat pocket and snatching the sonic screwdriver out. Yugi turned his head away, hearing the buzz and feeling sparks land on his skin as the Pharaoh overreacted. He was pulled away from the contraption, the Pharaoh pushing him in the direction of the door the next moment. He thought that he had felt a hug before the push, not sure what to make of it. But the Pharaoh was already running after him.

"Get back here!" Yugi looked over his shoulder as the Editor charged after them, the man falling to the floor the next moment. Yugi gasped, watching as Suki held onto his ankle. The young man paused at the door, staring at the corpse before swallowing and following the Pharaoh out. He was grateful for Suki's last act.

He bounded down the stairs, splashing through the water that was on the floor. The Pharaoh was ahead of him, the Time Lord pausing to look towards the sheet that he had noticed before, Yugi watching the light play oddly on the defrosting curtain. Yugi hesitated a moment before rushing over, his mouth dropping open in surprise as soon as he saw Cathica sprawled out on the chair.

The Pharaoh gave him a solemn look, snapping his fingers. The opening in her head snapped shut, the broadcasting being suddenly cut off. Yugi gasped as Cathica slumped in her chair. The Pharaoh walked closer to her, fishing in his pocket for something before throwing the sonic screwdriver at Yugi. "Open the elevator."

Yugi fumbled in the catch, turning and running through the water. He stared at the cylinder, wondering how to use it when he saw the button on the side. Praying that it would work, Yugi pointed the sonic screwdriver at the elevator controls, pressing the button and watching the controls spark. A few seconds later, the doors opened.

"Get in!" He spun around to see the Pharaoh wading through the water, carrying Cathica bridal style. Yugi made a motion to go over to her, but he was waved off by an awkward flick of the Pharaoh's hand. "Into the elevator, back to her floor. We have to be in motion before that thing explodes."

He need no more urging than that, rushing into the elevator and keying in the floor number, shifting impatiently as the Pharaoh followed him in. Seconds later the elevator doors slammed shut and the whole thing began to move. They were between floors when something rocked the elevator, Yugi falling to the ground and looking up, the sonic screwdriver still clenched in his hand.

"That was the Jagrafess." Yugi glanced over at the Pharaoh, envious that the Time Lord had managed to remain standing while he had been thrown to the floor. With a huff, he stood up and brushed himself off, staring at the sonic screwdriver in his hands before deciding just to hold onto it. After all, the Pharaoh had his hands full.

Cathica stirred when they were at their destination, glancing up at the Pharaoh before giving a short shout of shock, nearly leaping out of his arms. "Hey buddy!"

The Pharaoh rolled his eyes, pushing past her to walk out of the elevator. "Please, you're not my type. Can't stand reporters."

Yugi chuckled and followed him, Cathica stumbling out. They were hit by a wave of smells, Yugi rocking back to take a deep lungful of the scent of fast food. He shook his head, turning to look back at the Pharaoh, placing the sonic screwdriver in the Time Lord's outstretched hand, the Pharaoh more focused on Cathica. "Can you handle this?"

Cathica raised an eyebrow, tipping her head to the side. "You doubt me."

"You've given me cause."

The grumbled reply made Cathica laugh, the African woman shaking her head. "Trust this reporter just once."

The Pharaoh stared at her for a long moment before he rolled his eyes again, walking off. Yugi giggled, giving Cathica a goodbye wave. "That's a yes, if you were wondering."

She sighed, shaking her head. "Honestly, I don't know how you stand him."

Yugi shrugged. "It's a gift."

They both shared a laugh, separating to go off in their own directions. Yugi easily caught up to the Pharaoh, pausing at the door to the room that led to where the TARDIS waited for them. He spotted Cathica making her way to the panel that they had used before, fiddling with something on the computer before turning around. She found him easily, giving him a thumbs up before mingling with the rest of the reporters that had come out for their dinner break. Yugi returned the thumbs up himself before slipping through the door.

He found the Time Lord leaning up against the TARDIS, smiling at the Pharaoh before reaching for his key. They had started racing, in a completely dignified manner, to be the first to unlock the TARDIS, their masculine pride on the line. Yugi reached for the chain that should have been around his neck, halting when he realized that it wasn't there. His eyes narrowed as he remembered where it was.

Tomoya.

As if thinking his name summoned the blonde, Tomoya raced through the doors, panting for air. He smiled at Yugi before handing over his cell phone and TARDIS key, the latter going back into place around Yugi's neck. Yugi stared at his cell phone before slipping it back into his pocket. Tomoya's smile increased, the blonde wiping the sweat off his forehead. "I thought you guys were going to leave without me."

"Yugi wouldn't let me." The Pharaoh glanced at Yugi, obviously letting him decide about what to say. Yugi looked over at the Time Lord, biting his lip as he absently played with the key around his neck. There was no way that the Pharaoh would allow Tomoya to stay on the TARDIS after he had done something like that; the TARDIS was too precious to the Pharaoh. Just the thought of losing it would send him on the defensive.

And that was not taking into account the fact that Tomoya had betrayed them.

He sighed and looked at the ground, coming to his decision not to say a word about it. Yugi shrugged and shuffled back towards the TARDIS, knowing that the Pharaoh had sensed his sudden change in mood because the Time Lord let him open up the time machine. He felt the Pharaoh's hand land on his shoulder for a moment before he was released, going to stand but the railing.

"Alright," he heard Tomoya walk onto the grating, listening to the Pharaoh following behind him, "where are we off to next?"

"2012." The Pharaoh spoke, moving around the TARDIS console. "To the Hanasaki home."

"To…home?" Yugi flinched at the look that Tomoya shot his way, unable to look up from the grating. He didn't want to be a part of this, his nature demanding that he remain hidden. But this was partially his fault in the end. Yugi sighed, letting go of the railing with one hand to rake his hand through his hair.

"Yeah." The hand went back to the railing as the TARDIS rocked into motion, Yugi already sensing that the Pharaoh was encouraging the time machine to move faster than normal and he couldn't blame him. The Pharaoh probably wanted the danger off his ship as soon as possible.

"But…why?" Neither Yugi nor the Pharaoh answered the question, the Time Lord too busy piloting his ship and the human too busy ignoring the world around him, one hand reaching up to play with the key around his neck again.

Yugi jerked forward as the TARDIS came to a stop, finally looking up as the Pharaoh stormed over to where Tomoya stood, taking the blonde by the shoulder and marching him out of the TARDIS. Yugi swallowed before following them out, clutching his key like it would disappear if he let go of it.

"What? Let go of me!" The Pharaoh complied, nearly throwing Tomoya out of the TARDIS and into the living room of his house. The two glared at each other before the Pharaoh reached into his pocket, Tomoya flinching as he drew out the sonic screwdriver and aimed it at the phone in the room. Tomoya took one look at the Pharaoh before lunging at the phone. "No!"

Sparks flew from the plastic device, the phone jumping a bit before settling back down, smoking slightly. Tomoya stared at the phone before turning to glare at the Pharaoh, pointing at him. "You had no right to do that!"

"I had every right. I am the Guardian of Time and you," the Pharaoh pointed at Tomoya, "were disturbing it."

"I wasn't going to tell anyone!"

"You would have altered it enough!" The Pharaoh yelled, taking a step back. "And this is your punishment. We will not be coming back to get you. I only take the best, which is why Yugi is still here."

"But…but…" Tomoya was obviously looking for something to bargain with. He finally shuddered and snapped his fingers, Yugi paling as his forehead opened. "I have this thing! You can't leave me with this! I'll-"

"Be treated as a lab specimen." The Pharaoh snorted. "Like anyone would believe what you say."

"This isn't fair!"

"Life isn't fair!" The Pharaoh shook his head. "You got your one chance at the universe and screwed it up. Now, live with your mistake."

The Time Lord snapped, the action closing the hole again. The Pharaoh turned and got back into the TARDIS, staring at Yugi before jerking his head, a clear sign that they were leaving. Yugi nodded, looking up at Tomoya and rubbing his arms.

The blonde was obviously trying to find a way that he could get back onto the TARDIS. Yugi turned away, walking over to the still open door of the TARDIS. He tensed as his shoulder was caught. "Yugi, please, I did this for _you_. I love you!"

"No, Tomoya," Yugi shook the hand off, staring back at the blonde. "You did this for yourself. And you don't love me, it's just infatuation."

"You don't understand…" Tomoya growled, looking around the bright living room before leaning closer to Yugi. "You lied to me."

"What?"

"You _are_ in love with the Pharaoh."

"We're just friends, Tomoya." Yugi paused at the sound of someone entering the house. "And you should go."

They stared at each other before Tomoya shook his head and walked away, Yugi leaning on the TARDIS as soon as the blonde was gone. He gritted his teeth to keep from screaming in frustration, resting his head against the wood. Yugi moved slightly as he heard voices coming from beyond the living room, one obviously female.

"Tomoya, I didn't expect you to be home."

"Yeah, my job fell through."

"Oh sweetheart, I'm sorry. But I'm sure you'll get a new job, just like that." Yugi froze at the sound of Mrs. Hanasaki snapping, turning to stare at where Tomoya had disappeared to before darting into the TARDIS and slamming the door.

"There you are; took you long enough." Yugi didn't turn around to give the Pharaoh his usual scolding, instead pressing his forehead against the doors of the TARDIS. The Time Lord didn't seem to notice, continuing to pilot the TARDIS to their next destination, leaving Yugi to think against the door.

This was all his fault. He had known that Tomoya, in his shy and quiet way, had been flirting with him. He had almost taken advantage of that at times back in Van Statten's museum. He had encouraged Tomoya, when he should have set him straight immediately. And his interactions with the Pharaoh, which sometimes toed the line between friendship and something more, had just urged Tomoya to this.

Yugi sighed, his hand dropping from where he had placed it on the door, turning and walking up the ramp. The Pharaoh was still oblivious to his current preoccupation, Yugi not bothering to ask where they were going and instead heading back for the depths of the TARDIS. The ship would tell the Pharaoh where he was if he was needed. Right now he had to think on his own.

The TARDIS gave a soft hum, Yugi looking up from the key he was playing with to see a series of lights flashing along the corridor. The young man hesitated for a moment before following the lights. He trusted the TARDIS to take him somewhere quiet.

With only lights to follow, Yugi quickly sank back into his thoughts, gripping the TARDIS key tighter as he walked. He had almost lost this, the representation of all that he was doing. The literal key to the universe. And it had given it away without a question. How stupid could he get? It was a wonder that the Pharaoh hadn't thrown him out with Tomoya. He had almost lost the only thing that the Pharaoh had from his home.

Yugi stumbled to a stop as the lights on the floor went out, looking up at the double doors that the TARDIS had led him to. He looked around nervously, realizing that he was further into the TARDIS than he had ever been before. With shaking hands, he opened the doors, his mouth dropping open in shock the next second. The whole room was covered in stars.

He took a deep breath before walking in, taking three steps before stopping and spinning slowly in place, raising his eyes to look to the ceiling. This place ways amazing, the stars flickering like he was watching them from the Earth. A whole room filled with stars.

Yugi sighed and walked around the room, noticing a black strip that seemed to hover off the floor. Further investigation showed that it was a bench, the cushions the only things visible. He smiled and settled down in one corner, leaning back against the cushions and playing with his key again.

Honestly, he loved this life, even though his quiet personality would have seemed to be at odds. But he loved traveling through space and time, seeing things that no other human could see. And it amazed him every time; he could never get enough of it. To think that it would just suddenly stop…but he would have to adjust, wouldn't he. And his mother would probably love that.

Then what? Settle down with Miho like she had been hinting for a while? Produce grandkids to make his mother happy? Work at a job he hated? Come home and slouch around, hating his life because he had gotten a taste of something so much better? He couldn't do any of that, not anymore.

Yugi sighed, tipping his head back to look at the stars that twinkled above him. Junri told him that his grandfather had always come into his nursery and the two of them had stargazed together. Games, ancient history and stars, the things that his grandfather had loved. Yugi sniffed and wiped tears that were forming. "Here's to you Grandpa. Between the two of us we completed your dream."

* * *

The Pharaoh jumped away from the console as the TARDIS sparked, glaring up at the ceiling before stomping over to the captain's chair and flopping back on it. The TARDIS was obviously not going to allow him to continue to pilot her anymore, for reasons that she was not telling him. He glared at the time rotor, tapping his foot irritably against the grating before forcing himself to stop. The TARDIS would take it as a sign of victory if he displayed signs of impatience.

Hours passed in their standoff, the Pharaoh finally caving as it hit four hours, standing up and shouting, "What?"

He was met with a stern rumble before an impulse pushed at his mind. The Pharaoh shook his head before beginning to walk to where the TARDIS was pushing him. They passed the more used rooms, the Pharaoh pausing at his, so far unused, bedroom. The Time Lord paused to stare at it before shaking his head. He hadn't slept for long periods of time since the Time War, not wanting to see his memories being twisted into nightmares. The short naps of a few hours were enough to keep him running anyway.

The Pharaoh stopped at the double doors, feeling the impulse die away. He sighed and opened the doors, blinking at the sight that met his eyes.

Yugi was curled up in a corner of the room, obviously asleep, with the gentle light of the stars shining down on him.

He swallowed before walking into the room, sitting down beside the young man, smiling as Yugi gave a soft coo and curled tighter. The Pharaoh reached out without thinking, stopping himself before he could brush the bangs back from Yugi's face. He stared at his hand before pointedly setting it down on the bench.

This was getting ridiculous. He could no longer deny his attachment to his latest companion, he had stopped when they that run into the Slitheen. He could deny that he had feelings for the human, but it was probably just because this was the one that had stuck with him. And he had honestly missed having a companion again. But was it so obvious that a mutated Dalek could tell that he was in love? And was it really love?

The Pharaoh wasn't ready to confront that yet. All he knew was that he and the TARDIS were too attached to this one human for their own good.

He ran a hand through his hair before looking up at the ceiling. "He's going to die, one day. You know that?"

The TARDIS gave a sad hum, the Pharaoh feeling her reach into his mind for the equivalent of a hug. He nodded his thanks, not surprised when the TARDIS remained in close contact. With a sigh, he scooped up Yugi, going still as the young man shifted to curl into him. The Pharaoh swayed a bit with the action before beginning the walk back to Yugi's room, forcing himself not to think about what _could_ happen.

He laid the young man into his bed, carefully pulling the blanket up around Yugi's shoulders. In the moment that it took for him to step back, Yugi had made himself his usual ball, nestling further into the covers. The Pharaoh smiled at the action, taking a few more steps back before he allowed himself to watch.

He had done this once before, and even then, he wasn't really sure why he had felt compelled to do this. The Pharaoh shook his head and cut the session short, walking back to the control room, despite the TARDIS' whine of protest.

"We can't get too attached." There was a rumble, obviously a question. "Because he'll want his life back, he'll want to go home after a while. Humans can't deal with this all the time."

The TARDIS managed to sound disbelieving, the Pharaoh shooting a glare at the nearest wall. "He's a human. It may be a generalization, but it's true."

The Pharaoh walked quickly towards the control room, tensing as the TARDIS pressed closer to his mind, obviously still wanting something from him. He managed to ignore the pressure until he reached the control room, his patience snapping. Even though he knew that the TARDIS had no physical presence, he spun around, snapping at the air behind him. "We'll lose him if this continues! He's not safe!"

The TARDIS retreated from his mind with a sorrowful hum, leaving the Pharaoh suddenly aware of the emptiness of his mind. He stumbled over to the captain's chair, nearly falling into it. He ran his hands over his face, his whole body shaking as he came to a sudden realization.

"I don't want to lose him."

* * *

They had called all the neighbors and they had confirmed it. All the stations were out. There was no news to be had anymore. No more reports on the weather, stock market or any of the nearly daily threats that had consumed the Empire suddenly. They were vunerable.

Some just blamed a solar flare; those were known to knock out communications from Satellite 5. But then, they had waited. If it was a solar flare, it shouldn't have lasted two weeks. So something was wrong with the station itself.

And so, the people waited in fear.

__

* * *

_Please read and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome._


	26. Saving Sugoroku

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Warning: **Character death

**Warning: **Character death

****

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Saving Sugoroku**

"_My entire planet died. My whole family. You think it never occurred to me to go back and save them?"_

_-The Doctor_

_He was standing in his apartment, staring at the picture of his grandfather. Hesitantly, Yugi reached out to trace the frame, almost afraid to touch the glass over the smiling face. He glanced back over his shoulder at his mother's room, a rumble from his stomach reminding him of why he had ventured out here. He was hungry, but his mother wasn't going to move from her room today._

_It was _that_ day._

_His mother was a strong woman the rest of the week, juggling a job and caring for him. Yugi shifted nervously, glancing at the picture and then at the kitchen again before wandering back down the hall, peeking into his mother's room. Junri had the photo album out; that was a bad sign. It was worse this year._

_She looked up and smiled at him, waving him over. "Come here, Yugi."_

_The little six-year-old bounded over, a bundle of energy despite his complaining stomach; but he could wait. His mother needed him now._

_Yugi scrambled up onto the bed, shuffling closer to his mother. He curled up against her side, Junri shifting the photo album so that he could get comfortable. She gave her young son a smile before spreading the book out over their laps, lovingly tracing over the photos there. Yugi immediately recognized the section as the time from before he was born until he was about one, it was the only section that had pictures of his deceased grandfather._

_He sighed and wrapped his arms around his mother in a hug. Junri gently stroked his back, scanning over the pictures before pointing to one. Yugi perked up, staring at the picture. His grandfather smiled back, the elderly man standing behind the counter of the game shop that he ran. Held in his arms was a bundle, what Yugi only could assume was himself as a baby. _

_He blinked before looking up as his mother with a smile. Junri returned the smile, albeit hers was a little shaky. She moved one hand from his back to push his bangs out of his eyes, running her hand down his cheek before looking back at the picture. "You had been home for about three days in this picture. I was worried because you were such a quiet baby, but your grandfather said that I had been one too. He said you took more after the Mutou side then your father's side."_

_Yugi knew better than to ask about his father, the man who had run off and left his mother pregnant. He had never known his father, so there was nothing to miss. He did miss his grandfather, even though he could remember little about him. But his father was a sore spot with his mother. They had been engaged, Yugi had seen the ring, but his father had run off, leaving his mother to go back home and live the life of a single mother._

"_He always used to bring you into the shop and his customers would always say what a cute baby you were and how you looked just like me. I liked that they didn't treat us any differently, just because _that man_ ran off." _That man_ always referred to his father. Yugi knew that he would have a name, but it was never mentioned. "I think this day was your first day in the shop. Your grandfather was so excited, he loved you dearly, you know?"_

"_I know, Mommy." Yugi smiled._

"_That morning he took you down to the shop and showed you around. I laughed and said that you wouldn't remember anything, you were just a baby. Your grandfather laughed and said 'This is his home, he should know his way around it. After I'm gone this will be his. There's a reason we named him Yugi.'" She sighed and shook her head, closing the photo album. "He said that we were the best things to ever happen to him and it was true. He seemed more alive than ever once I showed up at his door, better than when Mom died. Surprisingly, he wasn't really angry with me."_

_The book was set aside and Yugi was pulled into her lap, the young boy snuggling up to his mother. Junri held him for a while without talking, staring off into the distance before she looked down at him. "You were his little light…and mine."_

_Yugi nodded, trying to wrap his arms around his mother to give her a hug, disappointed when they couldn't reach. But, apparently, his effort was enough. Junri gave a little laugh before picking him up, walking out of her room without setting him down. "Let's get you some food."_

"_Alright Mommy."_

"Yugi!" He jolted out of his memory, blinking rapidly. The Pharaoh backed away, shaking his head and then walking over to the console, leaning against it. "I asked you a question."

"Sorry." He straightened on the captain's chair, trying to look like he was paying attention while his mind threatened to drift again. Yugi sighed, leaning back again and staring at the ceiling, wondering why this was so hard to get off his mind.

"Still thinking about Tomoya?" Yugi glanced back at the Pharaoh before returning to his study of the ceiling. He heard the Time Lord move around the console. "You know that he got what he deserved."

Yugi wanted to argue with that, but decided not to. He was still unsure of the incident himself. With the constant movement through time, it was hard to determine how much linear time had gone by, but it had still been a while since they had kicked Tomoya off. The Pharaoh had been making small jumps to bazaars to buy parts for the TARDIS, almost like he was testing Yugi to see if he would betray him next. Yugi sighed and ran a hand over his face, sliding down in his seat.

He would never do that, loved this new life. Yugi looked out from in between his fingers, his hand slipping from his face. He didn't want to think about this now. He just wanted to know why he couldn't get his grandfather off his mind, the nagging feeling annoying him.

He sat up with a groan, not aware that he had made the sound until the Pharaoh looked over at him. Yugi blushed before looking down at the grating, watching some dim lights twinkle under the wires, not believing his train of thoughts.

But the TARDIS was a time machine…

"Pharaoh," the Time Lord looked up from a minute adjustment of something on the TARDIS. Yugi craned his neck to see what he was doing; quickly deciding that he didn't want to know what the purpose of the tissue that he was carefully inserting between two wires was for. He straightened up, swallowing harshly as the Pharaoh came around the console to stand in front of him. "Can we go visit my grandfather?"

"If he is anything like your mother, no." The Pharaoh turned, ready to start his customary dance around the console when he seemed to remember a fact, freezing in place to look over his shoulder at Yugi. "Isn't your grandfather dead?"

Yugi nodded, biting his lip and staring at the floor. "But…but I just want to be there for him."

"He's dead, Yugi."

"No, go back in time." He flinched at the glare that was sent his way, standing up slowly. He raised his eyes a bit to look at the Time Lord, relieved that the glare had lessened a bit. "I just want to be there when he dies, hold his hand." Yugi fought back a sniffle, ruthlessly wiping tears from his eyes. "He died all alone. The guy that hit him just drove off."

He could hear the Pharaoh shifting, refusing to look up at the alien until he had wiped all the tears from his eyes. He would not appear weak before the Time Lord. Yugi sighed and shook his head, surprised to see a flicker of emotion in the usually cold blue eyes, the Pharaoh giving a short nod before turning to walk around the console. "Tell me where."

"Domino City, Japan." Yugi tipped his head back, reciting the date that he remembered so well. "August 10, 1986. It's on the corner of Uno Street, just up the way from the Kame Game Shop."

The Pharaoh moved around the console, inputting the coordinates. Yugi sighed, swaying on his feet. A huge weight had been lifted from him with this. He still had no idea why this was bothering him on this particular day, but it was. He ran a hand through his hair, stepping back when the Pharaoh moved around towards him. Yugi managed a shaky smile. "Thanks."

"Just…" The Pharaoh shook his head, looking like he hated what he was going to say. "Just be careful what you wish for."

For the first time since Yugi had woken up, he smiled. The young man tipped his head to the side. "Did you just utter a cliché?"

"Once. And it's not happening again." The TARDIS jolted into motion, Yugi reaching out to cling to the railing, spreading his legs a bit to get a better stance as the time machine rocked. He let out a laugh as he had to swing away, letting go of the railing to let the Pharaoh move past, twirling and reaching out to grab the railing again. Soon, the TARDIS settled a bit, fixed on the time and place, moving steadily towards her destination.

Yugi glanced over at the doors of the TARDIS as the time machine came to a stop, taking his hands away from the railing and wiping his palms on his pants, surprised that he was sweating. He didn't even wait for the Pharaoh, walking over to the doors. This was one place that the Pharaoh wouldn't dare to be wrong about.

He cracked open the door, peeking out. It was exactly like the pictures that his mother had shown him; a long row of houses and the Kame Game Shop, with its many colors, near the end of the road. Yugi swallowed before stepping outside, taking a deep breath of air before relaxing slightly. He suddenly wasn't sure about this.

Yugi jumped as a hand was placed on his shoulder, looking up at the Pharaoh. The Time Lord gave his shoulder a squeeze before leading him across the street to the other sidewalk. Yugi kept close to the Time Lord as they walked towards the end of Uno Road, Yugi beginning to tremble the closer that they got to the corner.

The Pharaoh pulled him to a stop, looking down at him. Yugi thought he saw worry, but was distracted by the faint jingle of a bell in the silent morning. He turned to look, his mouth falling open as he watched his grandfather walk out of the game shop. Sugoroku Mutou was exactly what Yugi expected, spiky hair turned grey but the elderly man still had a spring in his step. He was dressed in his usual overalls and shirt combination, a black headband wrapped around his forehead to keep his bangs from hanging in his purple eyes. In his hand Sugoroku held the infamous vase.

Yugi sucked in a breath, looking towards the end of the street, relieved when he saw that there wasn't a car there. But it wouldn't be the case for too much longer.

"Yugi," he turned to look at the Pharaoh, watching as the Time Lord tipped his head to the side. The question was not going to be voiced; the Pharaoh ever reluctant to admit that he did not know everything.

"Arthur Hawkins, my grandfather's best friend, was in town because his son was in town. He was getting married here because he had spent most of his life in Japan. My mom was with the rest of the bride's maids, with me, and my Grandpa still had to close up the shop. Needless to say, he was running late." Yugi winced as his grandfather approached the corner. "The church was only the next neighborhood over, nothing horrible, so he decided to walk. Mom had the car. The road was clear when he started to cross, but some teenage driver came racing around the corner and hit him. The kid just drove off and Grandpa was dead before the ambulance came."

Yugi tensed as he saw his grandfather reach the corner, not registering the feel of the Pharaoh's hand in his. He leaned forward, the shivers that he had tried to keep under control becoming visible. "Oh God, it's really happening."

The Pharaoh squeezed his hand, Yugi too far gone to feel it. He couldn't stop staring at his grandfather as Sugoroku looked both ways before crossing the street. Sugoroku was barely one fourth of the way across the street when the car came speeding around the corner, the elderly man getting a chance to look over at the oncoming car before it slammed into him.

Yugi let out a sob, closing his eyes as tears began to run down his cheeks. He felt an arm come around his shoulder, turning him from the sight of his grandfather lying on the street, Yugi finding himself pulled against the Pharaoh in a rare show of tenderness. But Yugi didn't have the presence of mind to argue, leaning against the Time Lord and crying. He knew that it would be hard to watch his grandfather die, but he didn't know that it would be this hard. He had thought that his second hand memories and detachment from that man would have made it easier on him. He didn't expect this feeling, this crushing feeling of sorrow. "He shouldn't have…shouldn't have…"

"Yugi, everything…" He felt the Pharaoh take a deep breath, not knowing what stopped the Time Lord. Finally, he spoke again, Yugi feeling a hand rub over his back. "I know. I know."

He didn't know how long he stood there crying, only coming out of it when he heard the siren of the ambulance. Yugi froze, his hands still gripping the black shirt that the Pharaoh wore under his white trench coat. He took a few breaths before spinning around, his heart sinking as he watched the crew begin to load up his grandfather, one of them closing his eyes.

He had been too late.

Yugi looked at the Pharaoh as the Time Lord sighed, going back to his usual prickly self. "Come on Yugi."

"No." He surprised himself, looking down at the ground before glancing back up at the Time Lord, blushing at his outburst. "I…I want to try again."

"Yugi, it's too-"

"Please." He knew that the Pharaoh wouldn't give into his request, but he still had to try. "Please, just one more time."

The Time Lord sighed, finally nodding. Yugi almost missed the motion, ready to be told no. He froze in place, staring at the Pharaoh until the Time Lord had begun to drag him back to the TARDIS. "Once more is all you are getting. It's too dangerous to visit the same time more than once."

"I understand." Yugi wiped the tears from his face, taking a shaky breath as he stepped into the time machine, watching as the Pharaoh began to recalculate the TARDIS' landing. He remained by the top of the ramp, leaning against one of the column that grew up there, absently petting the coral.

The TARDIS jolted to a stop, Yugi ready to run down the ramp, but the Pharaoh stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. He was guided out of the TARDIS, realizing that they had parked a good distance from the corner. Sighing, Yugi tucked his hands into his pockets and began watching, aware that the Pharaoh was following him, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

He had watched his grandfather get killed, and that was worse than hearing about it. The kid hadn't even stopped; just kept on going. Yugi shivered, rubbing his arms before pulling his jacket more tightly around him, despite the warmth of the summer sun. He tipped his head to the side, amazed that the sun was still shining.

As a child, he had always thought that it would be dark skies and rain the day that his grandfather died, one of the only important people left in his family. But nothing like that was happening; nature itself didn't care about Sugoroku Mutou. The sun was shining brightly and it was a perfect day all around, Yugi pulling the collar on his jacket up higher. It shouldn't feel like this when he was this depressed.

Yugi jumped as the Pharaoh draped an arm around his shoulder, about to thank the Time Lord for his sympathy when the Pharaoh pulled him behind a building, Yugi getting a glimpse of the back of his own head before he was let go. The young man sighed, staring at the ground for a moment before looking up. The Pharaoh had already offered him sympathy, why did he expect more from the Time Lord?

"As soon as you turn around, you can run out, Yugi. Just be sure to be gone when the ambulance arrives…or hidden." He nodded numbly at the instructions, staring at the corner that his grandfather was approaching.

And suddenly, he couldn't do it. He couldn't just stand here and watch his grandfather get hit again. He didn't want his mother to suffer through all of that again, hearing about his death, getting kicked out of their house when the game shop couldn't support them and the yearly morning for her father. And he wanted to know this person that he had heard stories about and seen pictures of. Most of all, he didn't want Sugoroku to have to die.

The car came into his line of sight as Sugoroku was crossing the street, Yugi throwing off the Pharaoh's arm at that moment before rushing forward. He though he heard a shout from the Time Lord, but he was too busy running to care. After months of running away from danger and keeping up with the longer legged Pharaoh, he had gotten better.

Yugi stumbled a bit as he stepped off the curb, sprinting over to where his grandfather was and pulling him back, both of them just missing the car by inches. Yugi tripped at the sudden change in direction, sprawling backwards on the street. He winced as his head hit the pavement, lying still for a moment before slowly sitting up, rubbing the back of his head. Yugi sighed with relief when his hand came away without blood, but he was sure to have a bump there. He blinked, suddenly focusing on Sugoroku's face as the old man knelt beside him.

"Are you alright?"

Yugi gave a strained smile, prodding at the bump on the back of his head one more time before nodding. "I'll be fine."

Sugoroku laughed, Yugi's smile broadening at the sound. He had never heard that, but it felt just right. "Ah, to be young again. Come on, young man, my house isn't far from here."

He took the offered hand, groaning as more sore spots made themselves known as he stood. Sugoroku looked him over for a minute, obviously just now taking in the young man who had saved him. It took Yugi everything he had not to tense under the gaze, his grandfather looking him over for a while longer before beginning to lead him back to the sidewalk. "Kids these days, hm?"

"Y-yeah." Yugi gave a sigh of relief, glad that his cover hadn't been blown completely. But it was only just a matter of time before Sugoroku figured out who his was. His mother had always told him that he had inherited the Mutou hair and, from just a look at his grandfather, she had been right.

Yugi stumbled up onto the sidewalk, following after Sugoroku. It was then that he realized that the Pharaoh hadn't followed him. The young man blinked, slowing down a bit to look over his shoulder at where their hiding spot had been, stopping suddenly in his tracks. The glare that the Pharaoh was giving him was deadly.

As of now, he had two obvious choices, to run back to the Pharaoh and apologize or to follow Sugoroku. His feet began moving again before he could properly think over his choices, following Sugoroku back to the Kame Game Shop. Yugi forced himself to look away then, not wanting to see the Pharaoh glaring at him anymore. If they hadn't been friends, he would have been afraid for his life.

Sugoroku had the door open and waiting for him, Yugi giving him a thankful smile before trudging into the shop, resisting the urge to reach up for the key that dangled around his neck. The Pharaoh would come after him soon, and Yugi wasn't looking forward to anything that the Time Lord would do to him. He jumped as Sugoroku rested a hand on his shoulder, turning to look at the elderly man. "I'll get the first aide kit to take care of some of those cuts."

"But…don't you-"

"Ah," Sugoroku held up one finger, walking over to the counter to place the vase that was miraculously still intact there, "it would be impolite of me to rush off and leave my savior. I'm sure people will understand. After all, it's not everyday that you nearly get hit by a car."

Yugi gave a wavering smile before he nodded, Sugoroku bustling off up the stairs and into the house that was connected to the shop. The young man relaxed, turning it place before beginning to wander around the small game shop. It was so much better than the pictures and it still felt like home. He giggled to himself, rounding the one shelf that lined the center of the store before squeaking and stumbling back.

The Pharaoh stood on the other side of the shelf, glaring down at Yugi. The young man gulped, scrambling away from the Time Lord, whimpering as the alien followed him down the length of the store. Yugi flinched as he backed himself into the counter, pressing himself against it in the vain hope that the Pharaoh wouldn't hurt him. He had never seen the Time Lord so enraged, not even Tomoya had gotten him to this point.

"P-Pharaoh?"

"And now I find the reason that you came with me. It wasn't to see the stars or the universe. No. It was to do this." The Time Lord rolled his eyes. "You play a good game, Yugi, you had me fooled for a bit."

"What? No!"

"Then why did you come with me?"

"You know wh-"

"Why did you come with me only when I mentioned that the TARDIS could travel in time?" Yugi shuddered, yelping as the Pharaoh pulled him upright and pinned him against the counter, Yugi trying his best to avoid the fierce blue gaze. "Were you planning this the entire time?"

"No."

"I told you to wait, with two of us there, this place was a weak spot in time. Why didn't you listen, you stupid human?"

Yugi felt his stomach drop; he was now just a human again, another species far below the intelligence level of the Time Lords. Now he knew he was in trouble. He shook his head. "I didn't think about it. I just…I just couldn't let him die again."

"My race is dead!" Yugi flinched back against the counter, not used to this side of the Pharaoh. Mentally, he begged for the emotionless alien to come back. He could deal with that, not this rage. "Do you honestly think that I never thought about going back and saving them?"

"Get off of me!" Yugi slipped out of the Pharaoh's hold, backing away from the counter and panting for air. The two stared at each other before the Pharaoh held out a hand.

"Key."

"What?" Yugi's hand immediately went for the key that hung around his neck, feeling the warm metal before shaking his head. "No."

"Now, Yugi. Your free ride ends now."

"But, this isn't even my time!"

"Doesn't matter. You're too dangerous to keep around."

"You do this all the time!" Yugi shouted the words out, spreading his arms. "You save people everywhere we go! What makes this different?"

"I know what I'm doing." The Pharaoh walked forward, grabbing Yugi's shoulder and yanking the chain that held the TARDIS key over his head, pocketing it before letting Yugi go. The Time Lord gave him a disgusted look before beginning to walk to the door of the shop. "Enjoy your time with your grandfather."

His jaw dropped as he watched the Time Lord walk away, his hands balling into fists. How dare the Time Lord take his key and walk away. Didn't he care that he was about to strand him here? Yugi shook his head snapping his jaw shut. No matter what he said, nothing would bring the Pharaoh back; the alien was just being an idiot.

Yugi paced a bit before throwing his hands up in the air, staring at the Pharaoh as the Time Lord hesitated at the door. Why would he even bother to stop? It didn't really matter in the end, Yugi was just another dispensable human to the Time Lord; he simply didn't matter. He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow before turning around, giving the Pharaoh his answer. If the Time Lord didn't care, then he didn't either.

He heard the bell of the shop chime as the Pharaoh walked out, forcing himself to lean against the counter, staring down at the games displayed behind the glass to keep from watching the Pharaoh walk away. The Time Lord probably wanted him to come running back to apologize, just to stroke that ego of his, but Yugi wouldn't do it. He had done the right thing this time.

"Now what was that all about?" He looked up as Sugoroku came down the stairs, carrying the supplies needed to tend to Yugi's small wounds. The young man blushed before looking down again.

"Sorry, my friend and I got into an argument. He's mad at me for something stupid."

"Sounded like a big one." Yugi flinched as Sugoroku dabbed disinfectant on his arms, looking back towards the empty street. "And, am I right in assuming that I was the cause."

Yugi stared at his grandfather for a long moment before giving a shrug. "No. You were just one last straw apparently. He's a bit testy at times."

"So, now you're stuck with me."

Yugi laughed and gave Sugoroku a smile. "I wouldn't call it stuck."

"But you obviously have someplace to go." Sugoroku looked up at him, Yugi staring down at his grandfather with a look of awe. "You don't look like the type to just sit around and let life go by you."

He tipped his head back and laughed, Sugoroku finishing his job and putting the materials behind the counter. "You might be right there." Yugi looked back at his grandfather, tipping his head to one side as Sugoroku picked up the vase again. "You still going?"

"It's a very important occasion. And I need to let my daughter know that I'm alright." Sugoroku looked around the shop before leaning closer to Yugi. "She believes that I'm becoming senile."

"You?" Yugi smiled. "Never."

"Glad that I have someone on my side." Sugoroku began to walk towards the door, fixing the suit that he had been wearing. He walked over to the door, raising an eyebrow as Yugi followed after him, opening the door for Sugoroku. "Are you coming with me?"

"You can never be sure when another car will come around that corner."

Sugoroku shuddered before nodding. "I'll keep you around then. And I haven't asked you your name."

He paused, freezing at the question. Yugi shifted nervously before deciding just to tell the truth, he would have slipped up if he had made up a name. He gave Sugoroku a smile before following him out the door. "My name is Yugi."

"Yugi? Coincidence. That's my grandson's name."

Yugi gave a shaky smile. "It's a small world."

__

* * *

_Please read and review. Criticism is always welcome._


	27. Trapped

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter Twenty-Six: Trapped**

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Trapped**

"_The police can't help you now. No one can. Nothing in this universe can harm those things. Time's been damaged and they've come to sterilize the wound. By consuming everything inside."_

_-The Doctor_

The Pharaoh stormed across the street, not bothering to look for cars. If any came, he was sure that he would be able dodge them in the end. He was not a Lord of Time for nothing. In his hand was Yugi's key, his fingers still playing with the chain. He had taken it out of his pocket as soon as he had left Yugi behind at the game shop.

He couldn't believe that Yugi had done that, especially after he had been told not to. Yugi had been worrying about what had happened to Tomoya for too long, for reasons that the Pharaoh didn't really want to think about. He had heard their last conversation, and it annoyed him for some reason. Hadn't Tomoya seen that Yugi was _his_?

The Pharaoh shook his head, focusing on walking away as fast as he could. He didn't want to be anywhere near Yugi. He would just go back to the TARDIS and fly off to his next destination. Yugi could live out the rest of his life in the past, since that is what he obviously chose. The Time Lord's hand tightened around the key, a curse escaping him before he shoved the key into his pocket and walked faster.

Damn that human and what he had done to him. He had begun to feel again, and the Pharaoh didn't want that. He wanted to be able to separate himself from the rest of the universe. Or was that too much to ask? Apparently so because the universe had sent him Yugi.

He growled and turned the corner, seeing the TARDIS standing in the sunshine. He sighed and fished out his own key, not wanting to touch the one that had once belonged to his companion. His former companion. The one that he _should_ _not_ be worrying about. But he was.

The Pharaoh resisted the urge to hit his head against something, knowing that it wouldn't help him at all. The best thing to do would be to get back into the time vortex and get out of here before he changed his mind. Not that he would.

He groaned and leaned against the outer shell of the TARDIS. He had no idea what he was doing. He shouldn't be feeling this way. Yugi had broken one of the rules and he was being punished for it. If a companion couldn't listen to him then they were better off on their own. Something nagged him that he should have at least taken Yugi back to his own time, but the Pharaoh ignored it. Yugi would be much happier here in this time, with all his family here.

That something nagged at him again, but the Pharaoh pushed it away, ignoring the discomfort to his time sense as he jammed the key into the lock of the TARDIS, swinging open both the doors. He paused part of the way through the motion, fingers digging into the wood of the box as he stared at the blue painted wood that was right in front of him.

This wasn't the TARDIS, but it was where he had parked the TARDIS. The key worked, so it was his ship. It was just missing everything on the inside.

The Pharaoh walked into the interior of the box, running his hand along the back panel and feeling the wood shiver. He gulped and backed away, stumbling out of the box as it gave a shudder and faded away. The Pharaoh stared at the empty space a moment more, trying to come to grips with what was happening; only now focusing on his time sense.

It had to do with Sugoroku, time itself reacting badly to the fact that he was alive. Time itself was bleeding from a wound that Yugi had created, a big enough one to throw the inner dimensions of the TARDIS away from her outer shell; the box itself fading away as the wound stole the outside away as well. But he would worry about his ship later, especially now that he knew what was happening. It was more important to get to somewhere safe and old.

The Pharaoh turned and winced, wishing that he had picked Yugi up from Egypt or that his grandfather had the luck to be killed in Cairo. He could have just run for the Pyramids, and they would have been safe enough there for a long time. Unfortunately, he had to land in Japan and in a relatively new town. The Pharaoh closed his eyes as he broke into a run, hoping that there would be an old building still here. Even a farm hut would work.

He caught himself trying to head for the Kame Game Shop, giving his head a shake before turning around and running for the church. He knew vaguely where it would be, and that's where he would find Yugi. The Pharaoh cursed as he realized what was happening. If he had left Yugi here, the young man, if not taken by whatever came to heal the rip in time, would have caused a paradox. Yugi had told him that he had lived with his grandfather and at his house for the first year of his life. If Yugi so much as touched his infant self…

The Pharaoh really didn't want to think about it, focusing on running. He had to figure this out before it got too far. It was his duty as the last Time Lord to prevent this sort of thing from happening. If not, then time would handle it itself, and it wouldn't be as lenient as he was.

* * *

Yugi found it strange that he was actually able to walk beside his grandfather, forcing himself to look ahead instead of sneaking glances at the old man who walked beside him. He still couldn't get the grin off his face. Sure, he had been abandoned in the past by an idiotic alien, but he still had his family, which was better than just being dumped off somewhere. He could live the life he had always wanted here, which suited him just fine.

But his mother would worry. Yugi blinked at the thought, his hand going to his pocket to brush over his cell phone. His mother from the future would worry because he would never be coming back…or would it work that way? If he was stuck here, would his mother ever have to worry about him? Considering that he had not really changed events around too badly, the future wouldn't be affected too much.

Still, it would never hurt.

Yugi lagged behind his grandfather a bit, watching as the elderly man bustled ahead to greet the people who were arriving at the wedding, immediately heading over to Arthur Hawkins to talk to his old friend. Yugi smiled and nodded to himself before leaning against the iron fence that was outside the church. He looked up at the old stone structure.

This church was hidden by skyscrapers in his day, tucked away. Yugi was sure that there had once been some small town that Domino had been built over, because the church loomed up. Thankfully, in this time, it was visible instead of hemmed in. He tipped his head to the side with a sigh, turning around to drape his arms over the iron fence to watch the people arrive.

A car pulled up, the men stopping their conversations to watch as the bride got out. She was a beautiful young woman, blonde hair twirled into a bun. She seemed to glow in her white gown, smile at everyone before moving through the crowd. Her brides maids stepped out, all dressed in pale yellow, Yugi smiling when he saw his mother get out of the car, struggling with the basket that was sure to be holding him.

From his secluded spot he watched the bustle of the wedding, catching snippets of conversation as they drifted over to him.

"Oh, Junri, he's a gorgeous baby! Look how cute he is!"

"He seems to be very well behaved!"

"Dad! What happened to you?" Yugi smiled as his mother hurried over to his grandfather, leaving his infant self in the hands of his admirers. Junri looked over her father's slightly mussed suit before shaking her head, trying to fix it as Sugoroku dodged his daughter. She finally took a step back, placing her hands on her hips, Yugi automatically shying back a bit. That was the look that she had used on him when he was in trouble, nineteen years of experience kicking in before he could think about it. "Dad…"

Sugoroku finally caved with a laugh, motioning for Yugi to walk over, which he did reluctantly. As he walked over, he spotted something appear out of the corner of his eye, barely registering Sugoroku moving away from the curb as he stepped towards it, only to jump out of the way at the last minute as a car went speeding past.

Yugi rolled on the ground, panting for breath as he came to a stop, getting a glimpse of the back of the car before it disappeared, Yugi blinking before standing up and brushing himself off, waving off Sugoroku's offer of help with a smile.

"Junri, this is Yugi, he saved me from a crazy driver." Sugoroku scowled, leaning out as if he could see where the car has gone. "Actually, that car exactly."

"Hello."

"Dad, he looks almost exactly like…"

Sugoroku nodded, taking Junri's arm and steering her back towards the other bridesmaids, Yugi's hand going into his pocket to hold onto his cell phone. Suddenly, he missed his own mother very badly. Glancing around at the people there, he backed a few steps away, leaning back against the iron fence and taking out his phone. He dialed his house number by memory, tipping his head back to stare at the sky.

A frown appeared on his face after the phone rang for a while, licking his lips nervously. His mother always answered the home phone quickly. He thought that she would be more eager now that he was gone. But, maybe, she was out at her new job or with friends. He would just leave a message. Yugi opened his mouth to speak when he heard a voice come onto the line, stopping at the British accent. "Watson, come here, I need you."

He pulled the phone away from his ear after he had listened to the message a few times through, staring at the plastic before ending the call and pocketing the phone. It was then that he was aware of his grandfather watching him. Yugi stiffened for a moment, pushing away from the fence before smiling at the elderly man. "Everything alright?"

"Who are you?"

Yugi stared at him as the question was asked, wondering what he was supposed to tell his own grandfather. Thankfully he was saved from that, turning around quickly at the sound of his name being shouted. "Yugi!"

He saw the Pharaoh racing towards him, a smirk crossing his face at the sight of the alien. So the Time Lord had come back for him. But why? Yugi frowned at the thought, knowing that the Pharaoh had meant what he had said about leaving him here. So why was he back?

"Get everyone inside, Yugi!" He tipped his head to the side with that order, glancing at the church before giving a slow nod, ready to relay the order to his grandfather when he saw something forming out of the corner of his eye.

It looked like a giant insect, black and covered with what looked like scales. Its wings were much like the wings of bats, but the supports that held the wing membranes extending beyond the membranes themselves. It had an oddly shaped head, two glowing red eyes staring at him. Yugi flinched as he caught a glimpse of the creature's tail, watching the scythe-like tip slash through the air before the creature moved. Its wings flared out, the four limbs that were just beneath the head of the creature snapping out as well to reveal a mouth filled with sharp teeth.

The creature moved, Yugi squeaking in fear as it dove down, passing just over his head to attack the vicar that had stepped out of the church. He rolled onto his side to watch as the creature devoured the priest. His mouth fell open as there was a faint flash of light, gold running through the creature's scales before it lifted into the air again.

Yugi helped his grandfather up, noticing that the Pharaoh was already herding people into the church, breathing a sigh of relief when Junri and the baby basket arrived inside safely. He pulled Sugoroku after him, shoving the elderly man forward slightly as the creature swooped down to catch another bystander, a man that Yugi assumed was the bride's father.

He stumbled into the dim light of the church, immediately helping the Pharaoh swing the heavy doors shut, panting against them. Yugi slid to the floor, wincing as he heard the creature shriek, listening to the sound of stone being scratched at before the creature flew off. Yugi leaned his head back against the door, watching as the Pharaoh wandered away, the empty spot by his side glaringly obvious. He wanted to fill that spot, but he knew that he had lost that right.

"Spread out. Pull the shades on all the windows and lock all the doors. The age of this place will keep them out for a while, but I can't guarantee that." The people scattered on his orders, the Pharaoh turning in place before walking off into the shadows, probably to search for a way out of this himself. Yugi groaned and dropped his head into his hands, he felt completely useless right now.

* * *

The Pharaoh walked along the back passage to the rectory, checking the doors as he went. The Time Lord paused as he saw the bride and the groom in a hurried discussion. They looked up at him, the bride rushing away from her husband, looking at the Pharaoh. "You seem to know what is going on. I won't ask what, but I just want to know, will we survive?"

The Time Lord looked over the two before nodding, barely holding back the flinch that crossed over his face as the woman smiled and walked back to her husband-to-be. He hadn't lied to them; he would try to get them out of this alive. But they had reminded him too much of two other young people.

He turned and walked further into the old church, automatically checking the doors as he went. But his mind wasn't on his task, it was somewhere far away, on another planet entirely, one that no longer existed. The Pharaoh managed to keep walking until he could hide himself behind some curtains, peeking out into the passageway that he had walked down before leaning against the nearest wall, shaking his head.

No matter how much time had passed, the memory was still vivid.

_He walked easily through the tall red grass that grew close to the river that irrigated the land. From his place he could see where the desert spread outward, black sand stretching away into the distance. He smiled to himself, enjoying the feeling of being home after so many years away._

"_Brother!" He turned with a smile on his face, watching his younger brother run up to him, a girl running after him, laughing and holding his hand. The Pharaoh gave his brother a wave, pausing long enough for his brother to catch up to him. The three of them began walking, the Pharaoh's brother knocking an elbow into his side. "So, out of the Academy finally? I thought you would never pass."_

_He reached out to ruffle his brother's long black hair. "Don't ever doubt your brother, Mokuba. I surprise I lot of people."_

_Mokuba laughed and pushed the Pharaoh's hand away, the laughter dying away after a moment. His fiancée squeezed his hand briefly, the Pharaoh watching his brother worriedly. Mokuba sighed and looked up at him, rubbing at the back of his neck with his free hand. "What do I call you now, big brother? We were told that you changed your name."_

"_It was something I had to do. Unless I go into politics, which is highly unlikely, I cannot use my name."_

"_Yeah, but what do _I _call you?"_

_He hesitated for a moment before shrugging. "What everyone else calls me. Just call me Pharaoh."_

_Mokuba stared at him for a moment before breaking out into laughter again, giving him a shove. "Feeding your ego?"_

"_Oh, very much so. Nearly flunking out of the Academy can do that to you." They both laughed, the three of them turning to keep in the grass instead of heading out to the desert. It was still too hot to do that just yet. The Pharaoh looked up, smiling as he saw his family home perched on the top of the nearest rise, his smile faltering as he remembered who his neighbor was. He sighed and looked down at the grass, Mokuba tugging on his sleeve._

"_A…Pharaoh?" Mokuba glanced in that direction before looking back at his big brother. "Is he coming back?"_

"_He's already back. Just…leave it." The Pharaoh shrugged before shaking his head, focusing on the pretty girl that Mokuba still held the hand of. "So, is this the one you've been talking about?"_

"_Yep." Mokuba gave him a smile. "We're engaged, due to be married next weekend. Will you still be here or off planet?"_

_The Pharaoh laughed. "They won't let me get off planet for a while. Failed my driving test."_

_The girl gasped, Mokuba laughing and shaking his head. "That's my brother for you. He's brilliant, except when they need him to be."_

_The Pharaoh gave a laugh and shoved his brother away a bit. "Of course I'll be there. Can't miss the sight of my little brother settling down."_

"_You should too…eventually." Mokuba gave him a wave before running off, his fiancée dragging him along. The Pharaoh shook his head, keeping an eye on the two of them as he continued walking. Of course he would settle down eventually, he was the heir to his house; but settling down implied going into the politics of his planet. The Pharaoh winced at the thought. He wasn't looking forward to that. But, maybe, with a nice girl…_

_There was a first time for everything after all._

He gave his head a hard shake, sighing before he just slumped against the wall he was leaning against. That memory had come from lifetimes ago, nine lifetimes ago. He rubbed his hands across his face, trying to banish the memories from his mind. He didn't want to think about his little brother and his loving wife. It didn't matter anymore, they were both dead, along with the rest of them.

"Hello?" The Pharaoh straightened up quickly, hiding his emotions again. He raised an eyebrow as Sugoroku walked into the room, not thinking that the elderly man would be wandering out with the rest of the people or talking to his future grandson. The elderly man nodded at him before moving into the room, checking the door closest to him before locking it. The Pharaoh nodded before beginning to finish the check.

He saw the elderly man wander over to the window, pulling the blinds back. Sugoroku tensed, the Pharaoh wandering over to see what he was looking at. The Time Lord watched one of the creatures sail past, shaking his head. He suddenly focused on the car that drove past, leaning forward to catch it disappearing. The Pharaoh took a step back, staring at the deserted street where the car had been before walking over to the only remaining door in the room, listening to Sugoroku secure the window behind him. The Time Lord turned around, surprised to see the elderly man standing in the doorway, looking over his shoulder at the window, which had its curtain over it again. "That car…"

He stared at the elderly man that Yugi was willing to get kicked off the TARDIS for, stranded in a time that wasn't his own. And he couldn't tell the truth. The Pharaoh resisted the urge to groan, the habit of being stoic too ingrained in him. He would find a way around this. He wasn't a Time Lord for nothing.

He shrugged, walking out of the room and stepping around where Sugoroku stood. "It's nothing important."

The Pharaoh walked back into the corridor, aware that Sugoroku was following him. He didn't know how much Yugi had told him, but he wasn't going to say anything to the elderly man. It was Yugi's responsibility since he had saved him. But, from just looking at the elderly man, Sugoroku had probably figured parts of it out.

The two walked into the open space of the church, the Pharaoh blinking as a large group of people moved towards him, getting a glimpse of Yugi, still sitting against the front doors of the church before he was distracted by the crowd.

"What's going on?"

"Will we be eaten?"

"Is there a way out?"

"What about the other people?"

The Pharaoh waved a hand for silence, relaxing when he was given it. He rocked backwards, deciding that the first question was better left unanswered. "We'll be fine as long as we stay in this church, age keeps those things out. As for other people," the Pharaoh shrugged, "if they got into old buildings, they will be fine." He deliberately didn't speak of a way out, his mind still working on that one.

Apparently satisfied with his answer, the people broke off into their little groups, scattering to the pews around the church to talk in low voices or just hold each other. The Pharaoh watched them go, reminded of refugees from the way before he viciously pushed those thoughts away. It was bad enough that he was remembering Gallifrey before the Time War; he didn't need to be remembering his home planet during that horrible war.

"Excuse me." The Pharaoh stepped to one side as Junri walked past him, placing the basket that contained Yugi on a pew before slipping away, only then noticing that Sugoroku was waving her over. The Time Lord sighed, about to walk away when he heard a soft coo from the infant in the basket. He turned his head, staring at the infant human who was looking up at him with big purple eyes. He looked around before sliding into the pew, sitting down and staring at his future companion.

Yugi reached out for him, the Pharaoh pulling his hand away. He raised an eyebrow as the baby pouted, his large violet eyes widening when he realized that the pout wasn't working. The Pharaoh felt himself caving as tears began to form in those eyes, shaking his head and pushing one of the toys that were in the basket closer to Yugi, trying to ignore the giggle as the infant began to play with the toy. "It's good to know that some things never change."

* * *

Yugi looked up as his mother and grandfather approached him, running a hand through his hair. He sighed and braced that hand on the door, slowly getting up to look them both in the eye. Yugi tried not to flinch as his mother's gasped, pointing at him and shaking her head. "He can't be…"

"Junri, there is no way that he isn't." Yugi ducked his head, knowing what they were talking about. His grandfather was smart. The fact that Yugi had seemed to have inherited all the visible Mutou traits also played into the quick identification. "He has the hair and the eyes."

"But my Yugi…our Yugi is three months old, Dad. He can't be…"

"I travel in time." Yugi looked up, pleading with them to understand before shaking his head and giving a shrug. "I…I came here to visit. The Pharaoh and I," Yugi had to swallow and force himself to continue, "it's what we do."

Junri stared at him a moment more before throwing her arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug. Yugi tensed as he felt his mother, shudder, sobbing. Worried, he pulled back, surprised to see a happy smile on her face. Junri cupped his cheek in her hand, shaking her head with wonder. "You grow up to be a handsome young man, Yugi. I'm very proud of you."

Yugi smiled, relaxing for the first time since he had been here. "Thanks, mom."

"Although, that Pharaoh you travel with, I don't trust him."

He had to smile at that. "You still don't."

Junri nodded. "Good, at least I still retain some of my senses after childbirth." She picked up her skirts slightly so she could walk away, leaving Yugi and Sugoroku laughing quietly behind their hands.

They both stopped, putting on innocent faces as Junri glared back at them. Yugi smiled to himself, glad that his mother hadn't changed much over the years. He jumped a bit as Sugoroku took his arm, leading him over to a pew. Yugi followed his grandfather, hesitating as he looked over at where the Pharaoh was, staring at the back of the Time Lord's head before coming to a decision. "I'll be right back, Grandpa."

Sugoroku nodded, waving him on as the elderly man settled back in the pew. Yugi gave his grandfather a smile before turning to look back at the Pharaoh. He sighed before walking over, sliding into the pew in front of the Time Lord before kneeling on the seat and resting his hands on the back. It hurt that the Pharaoh didn't acknowledge his presence, because the alien had seen him come over, Yugi had made sure of that. The young man sighed and rested his chin on his arms, raising his eyebrow as he listened to what the Pharaoh was saying. "Hopefully, this time around, you won't be stupid enough to cause this whole thing."

Yugi tipped his head to the side. "I'm sorry."

The Pharaoh looked over at him before returning his attention to the infant beside him. "Sorry isn't good enough."

"Then what is?" Yugi flung one arm out, gesturing with it before glaring at the Pharaoh. "I know I messed up. I know I should have listened to you. But I just couldn't."

"Then you should learn control. If you want to stay-"

"Would you be able to?" Yugi leaned forward, glaring at the Pharaoh as the Time Lord tried to come up with something to say. The young man raised an eyebrow, tired of the high and mighty attitude that the Pharaoh took. "Would you be able to just stand by if you had a second chance?"

The Pharaoh stared at him before turning away, Yugi taking that as his answer. The Time Lord would never openly admit that he was wrong, so this was the best that he was going to get. The young man settled back into his position, watching his infant self happily hugging a stuffed plushie; the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Yugi laughed to himself, reaching out touch the baby when his hand was slapped away.

Yugi stared at the Pharaoh, mouth hanging open as the Time Lord went back to his conversation with the infant for a while, leaving him out of the loop. The young man rubbed his injured hand before pouting, glaring down at the floor.

"You'll cause a paradox if you touch him."

"Right. And I would know that before because?"

The Pharaoh sighed. "Yugi, not now."

"Then when?" Yugi glared at him. "You don't _tell_ me these things, Pharaoh you just assume that I know them. How can I know when I do something right or wrong if you don't tell me?"

"I told you not to interfere."

"You save people all the time!"

"I know what I'm doing!"

"How is my grandfather so different?" He watched as the Pharaoh slumped a bit, glancing back over his shoulder at Sugoroku before returning his gaze to Yugi.

"A man is alive in the world that wasn't before. That throws off the balance." The serious tone of the Pharaoh's voice made Yugi pay attention, leaning forward to listen. "Those are what those things are. They come from the vortex itself to heal the wound in time, by wiping every human off the Earth."

Yugi stared at the Pharaoh for a long while before slumping, his gaze fixed glumly on the floor. The Pharaoh continued on, Yugi just barely listening to the conversation. "If you touch the baby, that paradox would be enough to let them in. This building is barely protecting us as it is."

"So, how do we get out?"

"I'm working on that."

Yugi looked up, raising an eyebrow as he watching the Pharaoh distract his infant self with the stuffed Blue-Eyes. The young man snorted, shaking his head. "Looks like it."

The Pharaoh seemed to realize what he was doing, getting up and sliding out of the pew just as Junri came back over to retrieve her son. Yugi watched his mother carry him off before going to join the Pharaoh, a smile on his face. It seemed like they would be alright now, despite everything; especially since they were falling back into their old pattern of interaction. Yugi smirked and knocked against the Pharaoh's side, yelping and jumping back as he felt something hot in one of the Time Lord's pockets.

He reached into the pocket to grab it, ignoring the shocked look on the Pharaoh's face, pulling out his key to the TARDIS before wincing and dropping the burning key onto the ground. Yugi stripped off his jacket, kneeling on the ground to retrieve the key and show it to the Pharaoh.

The two of them stared at the glowing key, Yugi watching as comprehension dawned on the Pharaoh, the brief look of joy swept away as the Pharaoh reached out to take the jacket away from him. "Yugi, your cell phone."

The young man scrambled for his phone, pulling it out of his pocket before holding it out to the Pharaoh. The Time Lord shook his head. "Take it apart, I need the battery."

"Shouldn't you use something…more battery-like?"

"This will work. It might take a bit longer, but it'll work." The Pharaoh grabbed the battery from the phone, pressing the key against it. The key pulsed, the light coming from it pulsing brighter for a moment before it disappeared altogether. Yugi sucked in a breath, hanging his head. The Pharaoh laughed, the sound making the young man look up at him with an incredulous expression. "It's working."

Yugi nodded, glancing down at the key before deciding that he didn't want to know how they would use the key to escape. Instead, he wandered over to where his grandfather was sitting, sliding into place beside the elderly man. He noticed that Sugoroku was watching as the Pharaoh paced, the Time Lord watching the key that he still held in the jacket. "So, that's who you travel with?"

"Yeah. You don't approve of him either?"

Sugoroku shrugged. "He seems to know what is going on. As long as you are safe, that's all that matters."

Yugi smiled, laughing when Sugoroku pulled him into a hug. He had never realized what he was missing. He had only had his mother when he was growing up, no father figure to look up to. Suddenly, despite the danger of a paradox, he didn't want to leave the past; it had everything he had ever wanted. Although, it might be weird to watch himself grow up.

"My grandson, all grown up." Sugoroku let him go, looking him over. "Any flying cars in that future of yours?"

Yugi shook his head. "Sorry, Grandpa."

"One can only hope." Sugoroku sighed, pretending to look distressed. "So how is everything in the future?"

"Um," Yugi tried to think about things that wouldn't affect this past too much. His eyes caught the silhouette of one of the creatures flying past, shivering. If the Pharaoh didn't figure out a plan soon, that future wouldn't exist. "Well, mom has gotten a job. She went through a bad patch there for a while. A guy from her work wanted to date her and managed to get her fired when she refused. And I'm traveling with the Pharaoh, taking a break from work. Hopefully when I get back, I can go into college."

Sugoroku ruffled Yugi's hair, shaking his head. "You're being vague."

"I have to Grandpa. I can't break the rules of time travel."

"I guess I can't ask about myself then." Yugi tensed for a moment at the statement, forcing himself not to look at his grandfather. What could he say to that? That he was dead or could he make up a story about how they still lived in the game shop and that Yugi had grown up with a 'normal' childhood. He was sure he couldn't lie convincingly, so he chose to remain silent, leaning into his grandfather as he watched the Pharaoh pace.

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* * *

_Please read and review. Constructive criticism is welcome._


	28. Saving Yugi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Warning:** Character death.

**Warning:** Character death.

****

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Saving Yugi**

"_Who said you're not important? I've travelled to all sorts of places, done things you can't even imagine. But you two…street corner, two in the morning. And a taxi home. I never had a life like that. Yes, I'll try to save you."_

_-The Doctor_

The Time Lord stared down at the gathered crowd, watching as their faces all turned to look up at him. He ran a hand through his hair before carefully peeling Yugi's jacket back from the key and picking the rapidly cooling metal up in his hand. He could feel the faint buzz of time contained within the key, the soft hum of the TARDIS. Even now his ship was trying to come back to him.

The Pharaoh closed his eyes, straining his senses to catch where the TARDIS was, latching onto her song before moving two paces over and inserting the key into the empty air. He opened his eyes, taking a step back and tossing the jacket back to Yugi, listening to his companion fumble with the jacket as he stared at the key, relieved when it started to glow.

It had taken close to three hours to get the key charged, the length of time worrying the Pharaoh. What if the inner dimensions of the TARDIS had been thrown too far out? But those were all useless worries now, he could figure out a way around this mess. He sighed, watching the ghost-like form of the TARDIS fade in and out as his time machine tried to get to them.

Before the Time War, this kind of thing could have happened and it could have been fixed easily. Yugi could have acted like that and kept his grandfather without a second thought. Of course, the Pharaoh would have spent some time debating that point when he would have ventured back to Gallifrey. He flinched at the thought, at the reminder. Gallifrey was gone.

The Pharaoh turned to glare at all the people who were staring at the struggling TARDIS. "No one touch that key."

There were nods, most of which the Pharaoh ignored. They would all listen to him, he offered the only way out. He walked through the crowd of people, wanting to find a place that wasn't quite so human that he could hide out in and wait for the TARDIS to come back. Unsurprisingly, Yugi fell into step with him.

"So, what's the plan?"

"Get everyone in here out and keep them on the TARDIS while I fix this. Then all the humans are herded out of my ship to spend the rest of their lives as normal people. Even your grandfather stays." The Pharaoh raised an eyebrow, turning to look at Yugi. "Good enough for you?"

"And you thought of that all on your own?" Yugi smiled at him, the expression fading after a moment. "Does…does that include me?"

The Pharaoh looked down at his companion, only then realizing that he had stopped referring to Yugi as a human and reverted back to his old line of thought. He stared at the human, easily keeping the emotions from showing on his face. Part of him wanted to keep Yugi off of his ship. It would just be rewarding the human's bad behavior if Yugi was allowed to continue traveling with him. Who was to say that Yugi wouldn't take it upon himself to do this again?

On the other hand, he didn't want to go back to traveling without someone there. At least Yugi filled up the silence of the TARDIS, even when he was asleep. Without someone there, there was silence, not only in his head, but also in the massive ship that he called his home. And he was coming to hate the silence, even though that had been the reason that he had run from Gallifrey in the first place. The thought itself was almost laughable. He could always just get another companion to travel with him.

But he just didn't want to.

And that thought annoyed him as well. He should be able to easily leave a companion behind without any attachment at all times, especially when they had betrayed him like Yugi had. Yet, the Pharaoh found that too easy to push away. Yugi was right, if he had this second chance he would have acted.

He rolled his eyes, reacting before he had much more time to think over the question. "The TARDIS likes you too much."

Yugi stared at him for a long time before a smile crossed his face, the young man nodding before looking away. And, just like that, they had an understanding. It was almost frightening how well Yugi could read him.

His attention was turned away from his inward thoughts as they walked around the edge of the crowd, the Pharaoh spotting Junri cradling her infant son as she walked, apparently trying to calm the boy down. The Time Lord glanced over at Yugi, laughing at the look on his face. "Couple more years and that could be you."

Yugi shuddered, shaking his head. "Don't want to think about it."

The Pharaoh was just about to return with his own jibe centering around Miho when it happened. Someone in the crowd bumped into Junri, the two of them stumbling backwards. The two people began to fall, Junri losing her grip on the infant Yugi. The Pharaoh lunged forward, too slow to catch the infant.

He stumbled to a stop, staring at the young man who had caught the baby, Yugi's purple eyes wide as he held his infant self. "I'm sorry."

The Pharaoh quickly took the baby from Yugi, trying to calm the infant as he turned around, staring at the creature that was materializing in the room. There were screams from behind him, the Pharaoh backing up as the creature twitched into life, a bit dazed from being forced through something so old. The Time Lord felt his mouth go dry as he handed Junri her baby son back, motioning for her to get behind him, watching the creature the entire time.

He didn't blame Yugi for this, he couldn't. It had just been an accident, time working against them and forbidding this one way out. But there was sure to be another, the Pharaoh had survived long enough to be able to react quickly to such things. For now, he just had to save those that were there.

"Behind me, now!" The people stared at him before rushing to huddle behind him, the Pharaoh glaring at the creature as it finally recovered, stretching out its wings before focusing its attention of them. Maybe he would be old enough to protect these people. After all, he was older than the building itself. It could work.

The creature shrieked and dove forward, the Pharaoh watching with wide eyes as the four limbs that covered the mouth moved away, unable to stop staring at the sharp teeth that were coming his way.

* * *

Sugoroku pulled Yugi out of the way as the creature swooped past them, grunting as they both hit the floor. The elderly man looked up, sighing in relief when he saw that his daughter and infant grandson were safe.

"No!" The shout brought his attention back to this Yugi, quickly reaching out to grab the young man's wrist and pull him back. Yugi shot a glare over his shoulder before trying to scramble away again. As Yugi continued to fight the hold on his arm, Sugoroku looked over to see what was causing his grandson to act like this. His eyes widened as he saw the flare of gold on the scales of the creature before it took off again, sailing around the room. Yugi shuddered, curling up on himself. "No…"

Sugoroku blinked at the odd behavior, standing up to draw Yugi back to somewhere safer when the creature coasted past them all, apparently getting ready to swoop down on its next victim. Its flight path took it right through where the blue box was materializing. There was a quick flash of light, Sugoroku squinting as the creature writhed in agony before disappearing, the hazy form of the blue box disappearing as well.

The inside of the church was silent at that moment, silent enough to hear the sound of the key dropping to the ground.

Yugi was up on his feet in the next moment, rushing over to where the key was lying on the ground and scooping it up. Sugoroku hesitated before walking over to his grandson, frowning as he noticed that Yugi's shoulders were shaking. He hurried his stride, reaching Yugi and walking around him to see his face, surprised to see that his grandson was on the verge of tears. "This is all my fault."

"Yugi…"

"It's all my fault. If I hadn't…and then…he wouldn't…" Yugi sniffed and looked up at him, his hands still cupped around the key. "I've killed you all."

Sugoroku wrapped his arms around Yugi, surprised when the young man slumped into the embrace, clinging to him like he was Yugi's only hope of survival. He frowned and rubbed a hand up and down Yugi's back, waiting for the teenager to calm down. Yugi finally stopped shaking, reluctantly pulling away. He stared at the key on the chain before carefully putting it around his neck, a shaky smile appearing on his face. "I guess it doesn't matter what I tell you about the future, because it's not going to happen anymore."

"Don't give up Yugi."

"There's no way to get back." He shook his head, running a hand through his tri-colored hair. "I'm not the Pharaoh, Grandpa, I just point out things that he doesn't notice. I'm no one important. "

"Nonsense."

"It's true."

"No." Sugoroku pointed a wrinkled finger at Yugi, watching the young man rock back a bit. "You are my grandson, so you _are_ important. And we _will_ find a way out of here."

Yugi stared at him a moment more before nodding, staring at the floor. Sugoroku took pity on the young man, guiding him over to one of the pews before sitting up down, looking around the church as he thought. There always had to be a way out, even it was a slim chance, at least some of them could escape. His gaze lingered over his daughter and infant grandson, quickly moving on.

He wanted that younger Yugi to have a chance to grow up into the wonderful young man that he was standing beside. And he wanted to give Junri the change to actually live instead of hiding herself away from the world that had hurt her.

His gaze stopped on one of the ornate windows, staring outside. Even with the distortion of the glass, he could still see the image of a car, turning the corner and running up a ways onto the sidewalk before disappearing. Sugoroku frowned, giving Yugi's shoulder a final pat before wandering over to that window, watching the events replay themselves over twice more.

The Pharaoh had said that it was nothing that he needed to worry about, but the repetition of the even was what struck him. Also, the man was not disturbed by the creatures, some of them even swerving around the moving car; which meant that this was important. And it was the same car that had nearly killed him this morning; Sugoroku recognized the model and color. The same car from when Yugi had saved him and the same car from outside of the church. And that was leading him to one conclusion, a conclusion that he didn't like in the least.

Sugoroku turned to look back at the interior of the church, watching as people broke into huddles, gathering with their loved ones and speaking quietly. They were all waiting for death to come to them, another creature to breech the walls of the church. His gaze traveled over to where Junri sat, suddenly noticing how right it looked for her to just be alone with her infant son. Maybe right was not the correct word, but it looked tolerable, even though he wished that he could walk over and join them. But that would leave the grown up version of his grandson alone.

He looked over at the older Yugi, staring at him. This Yugi didn't look right alone, but he didn't belong over there either. Sugoroku ran his hand through his hair, sighing before looking out the window again. His choice was being made for him, it seemed. He wasn't allowed to stay.

With a heavy heart, he wandered over to where he had left the vase, the wedding present that would have never been given, looking towards the door before walking over to where Junri and his infant grandson were. He looked at his daughter before giving her a hug, Junri tensing at the sudden move. She smiled and brushed him off kindly. "What was that for, Dad?"

"Take care of him, alright."

"Dad?" But he was already walking over to where the older Yugi sat, still staring at the key.

Sugoroku knelt on the ground, ignoring his protesting knees. He rested a hand on Yugi's shoulder, watching his grandson realize that someone else was there, turning his head to look at Sugoroku. The elderly man smiled at his grandson. "I may not approve of that man you travel around with, but I do respect him. He tried to keep me here for you."

"What?"

He reached up to pull Yugi into a hug. "Don't forget me, Yugi."

Yugi stiffened for a moment before collapsing forward, hugging Sugoroku. "I won't Grandpa, I won't. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize." Sugoroku stood up, placing a hand on Yugi's shoulder before walking to the doors of the church, opening them just a bit before peeking out. The car was just beginning the start of its cycle. Sugoroku took a deep breath before rushing out, jumping towards one side as he heard one of the creatures that circled overhead give a screech, forcing himself to focus. His left hand kept a tight grip on the vase. Some part of him felt foolish for bringing the vase with him, but it was an ugly thing anyway.

He stepped out into the street, managing two steps before he saw the car coming, forcing himself to stop instead of running on. He was Yugi's last chance. If he ran, then his grandson would never grow up. Sugoroku took a deep breath and closed his eyes, not wanting to watch the car hit, wishing his grandson a good life.

* * *

Yugi rested his head against the wooden doors of the church, gritting his teeth as he fought back tears. He would never know what possessed him to watch his grandfather die, but he had anyway. He felt that he owed it to Sugoroku. But it still hurt, and it was for the second time today. He shuddered, pressing himself closer to the wooden doors.

He was such an idiot.

He should have just allowed the Pharaoh to take him wherever the Time Lord had wanted to go in the first place instead of insisting on this. He _was_ no more than a stupid human. Yugi sighed, curling his hand into a fist where it rested on the door. He was an idiot and a coward.

A hand on his shoulder startled him, Yugi turning slowly to look into the familiar cold blue eyes of the Pharaoh. He stared at the Time Lord, part of him wondering if he had been taken by one of those creatures to before he was given a gentle shove in the direction of the street. "Go to him."

Yugi stumbled a bit, looking back over his shoulder before taking off at a run, partially aware of the crowd that was beginning to gather behind him at the doors of the church. He didn't care; right now he had his chance to do as he should have in the beginning, if he hadn't been such a coward.

Those thoughts were brushed from his mind as he stumbled to where his grandfather lay, falling to his hands and knees beside the elderly man before carefully taking his hand. "Grandpa?"

Sugoroku's purple eyes slowly opened, Yugi biting back a whimper at how unfocused they were. He suddenly doubted that his grandfather even knew who he was, but a weak squeeze of his hand and a smile proved him wrong. Sugoroku stared at him for a moment more before exhaling, his purple eyes falling shut.

Yugi bit his lip, still holding onto his grandfather's hand and not daring to turn around. He did look up when he heard the car door slam, blinking up at the young man who stumbled out of the car, clutching a wrist that looked broken. The young man gasped and dropped to his knees beside them, muttering apologies over and over again. "I'm sorry, I just couldn't stop. He just ran…right in front of me…"

Yugi waved the apologies away with his free hand, remaining by Sugoroku. He stared at his grandfather, the strength that had appeared from nowhere suddenly disappearing. Yugi slumped, tears beginning to run down his cheeks. He wasn't aware of anyone around him until he felt a hand land on his shoulder, relaxing at the familiarity of it. "He's gone."

"Yes."

"At least I was here." Yugi gave a sad smile, still not turning around to speak to the Pharaoh, he paused, looking at the wrinkled hand that he held. "But, I've changed history again."

"It doesn't matter as much this time. Now, it's just small adjustments."

"But he wasn't important." It hurt Yugi to say that. Sugoroku had been very important to him. "He never changed the world; he just would have continued to run his game shop."

"Yugi…" He heard the Pharaoh sigh. "The most important people in the world are those who do not seem to be important. It's why we have to be so careful when trying to save people."

"Alright." Yugi slowly stood up, hearing the ambulance coming. He turned to look at the crowd of the people who were staring from the church, easily spotting his mother sobbing. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, messing up his already messy spikes before looking back at the Pharaoh. "I guess we go now."

He turned, not surprised to see the TARDIS waiting for him; the time machine would always find the Pharaoh. Yugi began trudging towards the ship, suddenly wanting nothing more than to have a shower and eat the ice cream that he knew was in the kitchen. For a moment, rational thought intruded and reminded him that was a girly thing to do, but it was how his mother had always cured her low moods and he had just picked the habit up.

Yugi tensed as a hand slipped into his, giving it a quick squeeze before pulling away again, but only going far enough that they were no longer holding hands. Their hands brushed against each other every once and a while, more than enough comfort for Yugi, especially knowing the Pharaoh.

He didn't look up at the Time Lord, allowing the Pharaoh to open the door to the TARDIS, stepping inside and immediately heading for the kitchen. He heard the TARDIS give a rumble of confusion, Yugi sighing and shaking his head. He didn't really feel like talking right now, walking into the kitchen and taking the tub of ice cream out of the freezer. He hunted out a spoon and flopped down in the booth-like table, opening the tub and just eating the ice cream right out of it.

Yugi examined the tub as he ate, using that as a distraction to keep from thinking. Of course he had reached for the chocolate, he was such a girl. He sighed and dug out another spoonful, staring at the no longer smooth surface. Yugi licked his spoon clean, considering the metal utensil before he began to poke the rounded end into the ice cream, making little marks in what was left of the smooth surface, not looking up at the Pharaoh entered the kitchen.

"The whole purpose of ice cream is to eat it."

Yugi looked up before going back to his prodding. "I am."

"Doesn't look like it." When Yugi didn't respond, the Pharaoh sighed, Yugi listening to him walk across the floor and slide into the booth. The young man still didn't look up, proceeding to ignore the presence of the Time Lord. He tipped his head to the side before getting another spoonful of ice cream and eating it, licking the spoon clean before going back for another spoonful. "That's disgusting, Yugi."

The young man finally looked up at his traveling companion, rolling his eyes. "You'd better not touch my comfort food."

"It's my ship."

"It's _my_ ice cream. Ask the TARDIS." He doubted that the Pharaoh actually would; watching the Time Lord carefully. As he thought, the Pharaoh just continued to stare in disgust at the tub of ice cream. The Time Lord finally stood up and shook his head.

"While the TARDIS understands this human habit, I don't. I'll leave you to your…contamination." Yugi gave a little salute with his spoon before going back to his ice cream, listening to the Pharaoh walk out of the room to do whatever it was that the Time Lord did while Yugi was recovering from their various adventures.

The young man stared at the tub of ice cream, forcing himself to concentrate on other things, like the flavor, the pattern on the table, or what the tub itself said. But, in the end, that amounted to nothing. Yugi gave up, jamming his spoon into the ice cream before shoving the tub away, burying his head into his arms and sobbing.

****

* * *

**1992-Domino City, Japan **

He was standing in his apartment, staring at the picture of his grandfather. Hesitantly, Yugi reached out to trace the frame, almost afraid to touch the glass over the smiling face. He glanced back over his shoulder at his mother's room, a rumble from his stomach reminding him of why he had ventured out here. He was hungry, but his mother wasn't going to move from her room today.

It was _that_ day.

His mother was a strong woman the rest of the week, juggling a job and taking care of him. Yugi shifted nervously, glancing at the picture and then at the kitchen again before wandering back down the hall, peeking into his mother's room. Junri had the photo album out, that was a bad sign. It was worse this year.

She looked up and smiled at him, waving him over. "Come here, Yugi."

The little six-year-old bounded over, a bundle of energy despite his complaining stomach; but he could wait. His mother needed him now.

Yugi scrambled up onto the bed, shuffling closer to his mother. He curled up against her side, Junri shifting the photo album so that he could get comfortable. She gave her young son a smile before spreading the book out over their laps, lovingly tracing over the photos there. Yugi immediately recognized the section as the time from before he was born until he was about one; it was the only section that had pictures of his deceased grandfather.

He sighed and wrapped his arms around his mother in a hug. Junri gently stroked his back, scanning over the pictures before pointing to one. Yugi perked up, staring at the picture. His grandfather smiled back, the elderly man standing behind the counter of the game shop that he ran. Held in his arms was a bundle, what Yugi only could assume was himself as a baby.

He blinked before looking up as his mother with a smile. Junri returned the smile, albeit hers was a little shaky. She moved one hand from his back to push his bangs out of his eyes, running her hand down his cheek before looking back at the picture. "This was taken just a week before the wedding, the one that your grandfather died at."

Yugi tipped his head to the side, not sure what to make of that. He had always been told that his grandfather had died in a car crash. Junri sighed and pulled him closer. "We were at the wedding and he just ran outside for some reason, right into the path of a car. The driver was only a young man, but he stayed."

Junri frowned for a moment, trying to pick out one detail that she couldn't quite remember, Yugi waiting patiently for her to speak again. "There was…this man who stood by him…was there when he died. I can't remember anything much about him, but he was there, able to do what no one else at that wedding was willing to do, wait beside a dying man and offer him comfort."

The book was set aside and Yugi was pulled into her lap, the young boy snuggling up to his mother. Junri held him for a while without talking, staring off into the distance before she looked down at him. "You were his little light…and mine."

Yugi nodded, trying to wrap his arms around his mother to give her a hug, disappointed when they couldn't reach. But, apparently, his effort was enough. Junri gave a little laugh before picking him up, walking out of her room without setting him down. "Let's get you some food."

"Alright mommy."

__

* * *

_Please read and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome._


	29. The Empty Child

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Empty Child**

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Empty Child**

"_You know, one day, just one day maybe, I'm gonna meet somebody who gets the whole 'don't wander off' thing. Nine hundred years of phone box travel, it's the only thing left to surprise me."_

_-The Doctor_

Yugi stepped out of the shower and into his room, one towel wrapped around his waist and another being used to dry his hair. The towel for his hair was thrown aside, his hair already returning to its natural spikes as he walked over his dresser and digging through it, carelessly throwing a pair of jeans and a shirt onto the bed before digging out a belt. He slipped the towel around his waist off before dressing, pulling the shirt over his head and staring at the British flag design that was silk screened onto the front. Yugi stared it at for a long while before shaking his head, deciding to ignore the fact that he didn't remember owning this shirt. There was a chance that Miho had gotten it for him at a sale, but that still didn't explain why he had never worn it. Yugi shrugged at the mirror before walking out of his room, heading for the console room where he assumed that the Pharaoh would be. He was almost to the doorway when the TARDIS suddenly rocked, Yugi stumbling into a wall. He winced and pushed himself upright, dashing to the console room before the next tremor.

He was thrown into one of the columns, stumbling away from it to cling to the console, watching as the Pharaoh calmly worked around it. Yugi had to let go to let the Time Lord pass, glaring as he was shouldered a bit more out of the way to give the taller man the room that he needed. Yugi expected to be filled in on the situation, but was completely ignored, the human scowling before reaching for the view screen. Yugi spun it around the central column to face him, staring at the image that it showed him.

A metal cylinder bobbed in the middle of the Time Vortex, taking sudden sharp turns which the Pharaoh easily kept up with. Yugi scrambled for a better hold on the console as the TARDIS jerked suddenly, changing direction entirely. "What's going on?"

"This thing appeared and it set off a mauve alert."

"Mauve?"

"Only humans use the color red. Typical of them, having to have something completely different for the same basic idea." Yugi let the human comment slip without his normal comeback, waiting patiently for the Pharaoh to begin to explain. To his annoyance, the Time Lord seemed to be wholly concentrated on steering.

"So, why are we chasing it?"

"Because it's dangerous." And that was the only answer he was getting, Yugi could tell from the tone of voice that was used. He sighed and moved out of the way again, letting the Pharaoh do as he wished. Cautiously, he moved away from the console, grabbing onto the railing as the TARDIS continued to rock, nearly falling down when the time machine came to halt.

Yugi grumbled as he pulled himself upright, looking over his shoulder at the Time Lord as the Pharaoh stared at the view screen. The Pharaoh shot a quick look at him before returning his full attention to the screen, the obvious plea almost making Yugi laugh. Of course the Time Lord would want_ him_ to ask the obvious questions. Yugi rolled his eyes before giving in; it was the only way he was going to get any information. "Where are we?"

"London, England in the 1940s." Yugi tipped his head to the side, wondering why that year sounded so familiar. He finally gave up, watching as the Pharaoh moved toward the door of the TARDIS, turning to look at Yugi. "That thing slipped through an eddy, so we are either ahead or behind it."

Yugi stared at the Time Lord as he went to leave the TARDIS, gesturing at the console before speaking. "Why not just scan for alien technology?"

The Pharaoh raised an eyebrow. "And give our position away? No. We're doing this the old fashioned way."

Yugi threw up his arms in despair before following the Time Lord out of the TARDIS, suddenly shivering and rubbing his arms. Part of him wished that he had brought a jacket, but there was no time to rush back into the TARDIS to retrieve it. He shrugged and followed the Pharaoh further along the alley, nearly walking past the small door in the wall. Yugi stumbled to a stop and stared at the Time Lord. "You were serious."

"There are few times that I am not." The Pharaoh had taken the sonic screwdriver out and was working on the lock to the building. Yugi stared at him for a while before turning around and crossing his arms, trying to stay warm. He tensed as something knocked against a metal object, sucking in a breath before slowly letting it out. Yugi heard a chuckle from the Pharaoh. "Jumping at shadows?"

"I am not!" Yugi turned around, finding that the Pharaoh had already disappearing into the small door. He stared at the door, ready to follow the Pharaoh when he heard something, the sound too soft to make out the words, but enough to make him pause and turn around. His hand slid off the doorway, Yugi tipping his head to the side in case the sound came again.

"Mummy?" He sprinted away from the door, running towards the sound. He was forced to a stop at the end of the alley, looking around. There was nothing here that he could see; which confused him. He had definitely heard a voice. Yugi glared at the nearest wall, looking over his shoulder at the mouth of the alley, ready to walk back when he heard the voice again, looking up quickly. "Are you my mummy?"

A small child was on the roof of the house above him, the lights from the city behind him showing his blonde hair and his face, covered by a gas mask. Yugi frowned at the sight, glancing around again to see if the child's parents were around, only to reveal nothing. He growled, more to himself than at anything. Who would just leave their child on the roof of a building?

Yugi looked around, quickly finding a pile of junk that looked like it would hold his weight, but it didn't reach high enough. Luckily for him, there was also a rope dangling. Without a second thought, Yugi ran for the pile, clambering up it before it could give out, even under his slight weight. He felt the last piece give out under his foot, lunging for the rope and clinging to it.

A problem quickly became apparent to Yugi as he clung to the rope, looking up at the roof that seemed even farther now than before. He had never been good at climbing when he was in school. Yugi swallowed, getting a better hold on the rope before beginning to climb, flinching at the pain in his arms. He gritted his teeth and focused on the child above him. While the Pharaoh wasted his time with whatever he was doing, Yugi would help this child and talk to the local people. Without a doubt, the locals would know what was going on.

With a grunt, he heaved himself up the last few inches, scrambling at the edge of the roof to pull himself over. Yugi stopped when only his feet were dangling over the edge of the roof, panting for breath. He would give himself a moment before helping the child. He made a resolution to find a way to get into better shape, since life with the Pharaoh seemed to be set on trying to push him to his limits or kill him.

"Look, mummy, balloons." Yugi looked up as the child spoke again, wanting to ask a question when he was suddenly aware of the blimp shaped balloon that hovered over his head. He frowned and sat up, one hand slipping and nearly sending him falling over again. Yugi scowled, looking down at the loose rope that was threaded through a bracket, not really comprehending what it was until he was gently pulled over the edge of the roof.

He gave a surprised yelp, immediately returning to cling to the rope, kicking away the loops that had been wrapped around his leg. With that done, Yugi sighed in relief, pressing his forehead against the rough rope before looking around him, his stomach dropping as he realized that he was rising. His slip up must have undone the balloon from its mooring and now the balloon was taking him into the skies.

Yugi tightened his grip on the rope, staring down at the city of London that was sprawled out below him. Hopefully the balloon would drift to one of the taller buildings and he could get off before he fell off. Yugi quickly pushed that thought from his mind. He didn't want to even consider what would happen to him then. Instead, he pressed himself closer to the rope, shivering a little before settling down.

His calm was interrupted by the sound of a siren, Yugi starting a bit before looking down at the city below him, eyes going wide as lights began to wink out. He blinked; the uneasy feeling of before returning to him. There was something important going on in England during this time, he knew that. Just what it was exactly…

Yugi froze, hearing the low thrum of engines in the distance. He turned his head, squinting into the dark, hoping that he would spot something. But it sounded a little like planes…

The 1940s.

World War II.

Yugi's eyes opened wide as the event finally came to mind, watching as the planes began to appear. From his history class, he remembered that the Germans had tried to take over Britain, everything else leaving his mind the next minute as he remembered where he was. He was hanging to a balloon, during the middle of a German air raid; bombs would be falling soon. He looked down in the hope of seeing some building that he could take shelter in, staring at his shirt; he was wearing a white t-shirt with the British flag on it, not the best thing for this time and place. Yugi whimpered and clung to the balloon's rope, closing his eyes as the first of the planes flew over, trembling in fear.

He highly doubted that the pilots would look twice before shooting at him or dropping a bomb, neither of which Yugi wanted. And, for the life of him, he couldn't remember whether the Germans and Japanese were allies during this time, too focused on his oncoming doom.

The urge to call his mother came over him, immediately shoved away. He didn't want to explain why he was calling her, or explain how he was going to die. He had a horrible feeling that she would think that he was joking and he didn't want his last memory of his mother to be of her laughing at him.

Yugi whimpered and pressed himself closer to the rope, closing his eyes as he heard the planes flying over again. Part of him wished that he would wake up and that this would just be a bad dream, but that was just as silly. He _knew_ that he was wide awake, and that made all of this so much worse.

He felt his hands begin to slip, the sweat on his palms making it harder to hold onto the rope. He looked down, trying to fight the dizziness he felt at the sight, and wrapped the rope around his leg, hoping that it would hold him in place if he fell. Or at least hold him long enough for him to reach something that could help him. But that was a dim hope as he had seemed to have drifted away from the taller buildings of the city.

Yugi tightened his hold of the rope as he began sliding down, having to jerk himself to one side as a plane flew right beside him, throwing an annoyed look at the confused pilot. The rope that he had coiled around his leg had slipped, leaving him with no reassurance, and barely any time to come up with a new plan.

He screamed as he slid down the rope, gripping tightly in the hope that he could stop himself as he lost his ability to hold onto the rope. Instead, his scream was cut off abruptly as he gritted his teeth against the pain of the rope burn that he was giving himself. Yugi stared down at the small length of rope that was left beneath him, cursing as he realized what was going to happen.

The last of the rope passed from between his hands, and he fell with a scream.

* * *

Lights were still on in the officer's club, although a few were working to shut them out. One paused, looking at his comrade. The man, whose black hair was bound up in a ponytail, was standing but one of the windows, staring at something through his binoculars. The officer sighed, shouting over to the man, "Duke, get away from there and help me."

The man's green eyes sparkled as he smiled, revealing perfectly white teeth. "I would, but something interesting has caught my attention."

The officer stared at Duke for a while more before shaking his head, managing to the douse the last of the lights. All the curtains, save the window that Duke was at, were shut. So it would be on the man's head if their building was bombed. The officer shook his head before exiting the room, muttering under his breath. "Bloody American."

Captain Duke Devlin just smiled to himself, adjusting his binoculars to zoom in, the machinery inside them giving a faint whir, Duke tapping into the features of the binoculars that he couldn't with others in the room, zooming in on the figure dangling from the barrage balloon, specifically on one part of their anatomy. "Oh, nice ass."

He moved the binoculars from his eyes, still smiling before he shook his head with a sigh. "Of course they would have to be good looking, just to throw me off." He strode across the room, picking up his great coat and looking at it with a hint of distaste. He couldn't wait to get back into his normal clothes, he was getting sick of the dull military colors. Duke shrugged and threw the coat on, stuffing his hands into the pockets as he strolled out of the room. "Let's go meet the new arrival."

He ambled down the halls, briefly nodding to people he knew that were scurrying around with the bombing. They would all assume that he was heading for shelter, but they assumed wrong. All he was looking for was a secluded place. It wouldn't do to alter time too much, and it was still a habit to avoid it. Duke let out a harsh laugh, slipping into a little used hall, his coat flaring out with the move. Still, all things considered, he didn't want the Agency after him.

Sure that there was no one around, Duke rolled up his sleeve, revealing a leather strap around his wrist. He easily opened the contraption up, staring at the display that was on it before inputting a code, standing still. There was a faint tingle that ran through his body, his ship scanning him before he was finally picked up, transported from the deserted hallway and into the dim interior of his ship. He looked around, leaning forward to check the time that Big Ben displayed before looking around for the person that he had spotted.

Duke went still as he saw the young man scrambling at the rope even as it slipped through his fingers. He quickly leaned over the controls, hurriedly setting something up to catch the young man, giving a smile as he pressed the last button, leaning back in his chair as the young man fell, a blue beam of light catching him moments later. His smile widened as he watched the man go completely still. Deciding to have mercy on the man, Duke leaned forward and hit a button, casually leaning on the dashboard of his ship.

"It's okay, I've got you."

"Yeah, and you won't drop me either."

Duke raised an eyebrow at that. "Spunky aren't you."

"Listen, I'm not in the mood. There are German airplanes flying around me, dropping bombs and I'm wearing the stupidest shirt in the world for this moment. Get me down!"

Duke chuckled, beginning to make adjustments to bring the man down, pausing for a moment before pressing the speaker button again. "You'll have to turn off your cell phone, it's interfering."

"Honestly? You're lying."

"Is this a face of someone you can't trust?"

There was a pause. "I can't see your face."

"Then trust me on this," Duke shoved a bang out of his eyes, "it's one you can trust."

He watched the young man fiddle with something before pulling the cell phone out of his pocket, humming a tune that he had picked up at one of the nearby clubs as he waited. The fact that the young man had acknowledged the cell phone was a huge give away. Not only would that piece of technology not exist, a Time Agent should have denied the fact that he had one right away. It was part of their job to be able to blend in with the locals. Duke shook his head and sighed. He had a rookie on his hands here.

A beep from the computer told him that the young man had complied with his request, Duke looking up before reaching for the switch above his head. "Alright, bringing you down."

He pulled the switch before the young man had time to protest, stretching before spinning his chair around and walking to the center of the aisle between the two beds that were on board, stretching out his arms and getting himself read. Moments later, the young man fell directly into his arms, Duke staggering for a moment, but he recovered and flashed a smile at the man that he held, his smile wavering slightly.

He had never seen that style of hair, all spiked up with red tips and blonde bangs, but it somehow fitted the man that he held in his arms; although he suspected that this was the man's natural hair color. Duke shifted the man in his arms a bit, freezing as the man opened his eyes, Duke frozen by the strange purple color. The man blinked a few times, seeming to try and focus on Duke before pushing away. Duke allowed him to get onto his feet.

"Carefully, that beam has a nasty habit of-" He lunged forward to catch him as the young man slumped, picking him up again with a smirk. "Knocking you out."

Duke shrugged and carried the young man to the nearest bed, rolling him into place before taking a step back, tipping his head to the side. He hadn't known that the Agency was recruiting, but he was tempted to go back just to see where they had gotten this one from and if they were any more like him. Unable to stop himself, Duke leaned forward to brush his fingers across the man's pale skin, pausing as the soft coo that the man gave.

Oh, he definitely needed to find out where this beauty had come from. But he could wait until the man woke up. Until then, he would just have to entertain himself. Duke flopped back into his chair, crossing his legs and thinking, his thoughts slowly just centering on the man who slept soundly in the bed. His bed actually. And he would do everything he could to keep this beauty right there.

* * *

The Pharaoh stared at the corridor lined with wood, walking cautiously toward the sound of voices and music. He resisted the first inclination to stick to the shadows. It was just a gathering of people, he was sure of that. None of his senses were telling him otherwise. He shrugged to himself before walking to the end of the corridor, stopping short before the lines of beads that made up a partial drape. He looked through the beaded covering, looking at the dimly lit bar, windows set high on the walls. Men sat around circular tables, drinking and listening to the women on the stage sing, some talking softly. The Pharaoh scowled at the quiet and tame feel of the bar, knowing that there should have been some of atmosphere, not this resigned feeling.

He leaned against the wall, waiting for the singer to end her song before walking forward, pushing aside the beaded curtain and strolling up to the microphone. He ignored the strange looks he got, staring down at the microphone before deciding to forgo it. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the leather wallet that held the psychic paper, holding it out to the crowd. "I'm an officer in the army, looking for a specific object that would have fallen from the sky."

"You wouldn't have to look far, mate." The Pharaoh bit back a retort, his eyes landing on the posters that were on the walls, warning of the German raids. He rolled his eyes, slipping the psychic paper back into his pocket.

"I said a specific object; I know a bomb when I see one. Now, I need to know if-" The Pharaoh growled, the sound overpowered by the air raid siren. He looked back at the club, watching as the people began to move out, probably heading for the shelter. He slumped a bit as the bartender began putting out the lights, turning on his heel and walking back up the corridor, pausing a few steps in. Something was wrong and it took him less than a minute to figure it out.

Yugi was gone.

He had assumed that the young man had followed him into the bar and Yugi had just remained behind in the corridor to allow the Pharaoh to do his job. But the young man was nowhere to be seen. The Pharaoh sighed, the only sign of his worry was an increase in pace. He was sure that, if Yugi could get himself into trouble, then he could get himself out of it. But that didn't stop him from being annoyed at the young man.

"You'd think," the Pharaoh shoved open the door to the bar and walked out into the alley, "that he would have the common sense to stay close. Especially here of all places!"

He walked back to the TARDIS with the dim hope that Yugi would have returned there, but he wasn't counting on it. Yugi, while intelligent, often didn't function by doing what common sense told him. It was one of the reasons that the enjoyed the human's company. But it didn't stop him from worrying.

The Pharaoh had his key in the door of the TARDIS when he heard ringing, his gaze darting down to the little door that, if the TARDIS had been a real police box, would have held a phone. And, while there was a phone, it wasn't a working one. So there was no reason for it to be ringing.

Leaving his key dangling in the door, the Pharaoh turned and opened the smaller section that would reveal the phone, staring at it as it continued to ring. There was no explanation that he could think of that would allow for this to happen. The thing wasn't even _connected_ to anything else. It was just the TARDIS trying to keep up the disguise to the best of her abilities. But it still continued to ring, the Pharaoh staring at it before cautiously reaching for the phone, his hand stopping above the black metal as a soft voice spoke out. "Don't."

He turned his head slightly to the side, looking at the person who had spoken. A young woman, maybe sixteen years old, was staring at him, all wrapped up to protect herself from the cold that was descending over London as night went on. The Pharaoh blinked, shifting to face her with his hand still hovering over the ringing telephone. "Don't what?"

"Don't answer it."

"Why?"

"Just don't." The Pharaoh, annoyed with the lack of answers, shook his head, looking up to realize that the woman was gone. He stared at the place where she had once been, about to take a step forward when the phone began to ring again. He picked it up without hesitation.

"Yes?"

"Mummy?" He froze at the sound of a child's voice, blinking in confusion. That the phone could even work had never occurred to him. The Pharaoh stared at the wall of the alleyway, his question dying on his tongue as the child began to speak again. "Coming to find you. Coming to find you, mummy."

The line went dead.

__

* * *

_Please read and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome._


	30. Consequences

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Consequences of Wandering Off**

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Consequences of Wandering Off**

"_What's this, then? It's never easy being the only child left out in the cold, you know."_

_-The Doctor_

The Pharaoh looked at the phone before hanging it up, glancing back down the alley at where the girl had been before slamming the small door shut and yanking his key out of the TARDIS, setting out at a fast walk. That girl knew more than she was willing to tell him, and he would find out exactly what. The need to find Yugi lingered in his mind, the Pharaoh easily brushing it off for the time being. Yugi would be perfectly alright, he could trust his companion in that.

He stopped at the mouth of the alley, glancing up at the sky before deciding to go on. Hopefully, he could find the girl and get some answers out of her before things went wrong. He was distracted from his thoughts by the sounds of whispers in the yard next to the alley, the Pharaoh hesitating before walking up to the wall, kicking a crate closer so he could get the final inch to see over.

A man ushered his family into the bomb shelter, loudly complaining about the German schedules. The Pharaoh shook his head, wanting to smack the man. He obviously didn't understand what war was about. This was the _right_ tactic if they wanted to take over, keep the citizens from being able to function normally, which, in turn, broke the state down. Immediately after the thought, he hated himself for having it. Had the Time War really scarred him that badly that he could only think as a soldier?

The Pharaoh shook his head, nearly missing the young woman as she snuck into the house. He frowned before looking over the wall, turning to move towards the front of the house. Hopefully the front door was open or he could find a gate or…

He jumped back as the young woman came out of the front door, leaning back into the shadows as he listened to her whistle, apparently a signal because children came running. The Pharaoh watched the kids rush to the house, shaking his head. They were all supposed to be out of here by now, not roaming the streets. But at least they had someone to take care of them; at least someone had tried to get them out. Better than what the High Council had done; then maybe more of his family would have…

The Pharaoh shook his head, firmly pushing the memories of the Time War to the back of his mind. He wouldn't worry about them anymore, it was beyond him now. He sighed and turned, walking to the front door and opening it. He slipped into the house, hearing voices coming from the dining room. The Pharaoh walked over to the doorway and leaned against it, watching the young woman divide up the dinner for the children. A smile crossed his face without his permission, the Pharaoh pushing it away moments later. "So this is what you are doing?"

The children froze, the girl turning around to stare at him. He could see them all tensing to run, forcing himself to slump and lean against the doorway, the relaxed pose allowing them to relax as well. He looked over the table to the young woman, the only one who had not relaxed. "You waiting until the sirens go off and then find a family who left their diner behind and feed it to the children."

"Got a problem with it?" The girl took a step forward, attempting to look threatening. The Pharaoh tried not to look amused, the girl only barely reaching his chest.

"No. It's a way of survival." The Pharaoh narrowed his eyes and looked at all the children there, realizing that there were more than he had first thought. "But I thought that all of you would be in the country by now."

"Some of them came back. Not all of them were treated so well." The girl tipped her head to the side, one hand resting on her hip. "Not all people welcome another mouth to feed."

The Pharaoh nodded, conceding to her argument, turning back to watching the children eat. His smile was fighting to come back, the Time Lord trying hard to keep it down. He didn't want to bring back the memories of the past; they should stay buried where they couldn't hurt him. The Pharaoh saw the girl moving out of the corner of his eye, raising an eyebrow at her. "Why are you here?"

"I want to know about the telephone. That telephone shouldn't have worked."

The girl sighed in exasperation. "I told you not to pick up."

"But that's not the only reason." The Pharaoh stood up straight, effectively cutting her off as he looked at the other children. "I'm looking for something that fell about a month ago. A cylinder of metal that didn't explode."

"The bomb that's not a bomb?" One of the children spoke up around a mouthful of ham, quickly swallowing before nodding. "Yeah, we've seen it. They keep it at-"

"Mummy?" Everyone in the room spun around at the sound, the Pharaoh looking back over his shoulder at the children. He watched as they all gathered around the young woman, watching as a young girl pulled at her skirt. "Nancy, what do we do?"

"_Grandfather, what do we do?"_ The Pharaoh shook his head to get his granddaughter's voice out of his head, one hand twitching by his side.

"Who came in the front door last? Sam?"

"No, I came in the back. Jeremy was the one through the front."

"Jeremy, did you lock it?" The child looked at the young woman with wide eyes, tears forming in them. "Sorry Nancy."

Nancy quickly, shooed them out, sending the children out of the back door, rushing through the front door herself and locking it. The Pharaoh followed her out of confusion, standing by the stairwell. Nancy jumped back from the door as a silhouette appeared in the window, obviously the silhouette of a child. The Pharaoh moved forward as the child rattled the doorknob, trying to get in. A hand on his shoulder stopped him from moving forward, Nancy moving to block him. "Don't get close to him!"

"You've locked him out there!"

"Please let me in, mummy, I'm scared of the bombs." The Pharaoh stared at the door making a move to walk forward, only to have Nancy throw herself against him to keep him back.

"What did I say?"

"Tell my why?"

She shook her head before walking towards the back door. "Don't let him touch you, or you'll become like him."

"Mummy. Mummy." They both turned as the radio began to play the child's voice, Nancy darting quickly into the living room to shut it off before disappearing out the back door.

The Pharaoh watched her go, narrowing his eyes. She obviously knew more about this than she was letting on. It seemed like he would have to track her again, easily done, but he would take care of this child first. He turned back toward the door, blinking when he saw a small, pale hand reaching through the mail slot. A jagged scar zig-zagged across the back of the child's hand, the Pharaoh inching closer to see. "Mummy, please?"

He glanced down at the hand, watching as the child moved, flipping over in an imploring move. And, at that, he broke. The Pharaoh swallowed, looking at the locks on the door then back at the hand. "I'm going to let you in."

The Time Lord stepped, quickly undoing the locks and flinging back the door, staring out at the empty street in awe. The child had been there mere seconds ago. How could he disappear so quickly? The Pharaoh shrugged and stepped out into the street, looking both ways before striding out into the darkness, aware that the Germans were still carrying out their attack. He looked down at his white coat in distaste. As much as he hated to admit it, he should have left it back in the TARDIS, He would feel better if he was in black, he could blend it better like that.

Giving up on that idea, the Pharaoh shoved his hands into his pockets and began to walk, catching glimpses of Nancy. He kept a steady pace, easily falling a bit behind to keep her from becoming too nervous. It wouldn't do to be caught so soon. He had too many questions to ask before he would let Nancy get away from him. He would figure this out and then return to looking for Yugi, as much as it pained his heart to do so, but it was good practice for him, existing without Yugi.

The Pharaoh pulled his coat more tightly around him, giving the sky another glance before continuing to walk.

* * *

Yugi groaned, rolling over and wondering why his bed was so uncomfortable. He wondering if the Pharaoh had messed something up on the TARDIS or the time machine was mad at him for some reason. Yugi reluctantly opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling that was suddenly very close to him, his eyes fixed on two words of graffiti carved into the plastic. His reached up to trace over the letters, not really comprehending them.

D. A. R. K. G. A. M. E.

His eyes opened wide as he remembered where he was, quickly rolling out of the bed and standing up, the ship that he was in dark. Yugi turned his head as he saw something move, narrowing his eyes in the next moment as the lights were flipped on, the whole ship lit by a soft orange glow. He shook his head before looking towards the front of the ship, surprised to see a man reclining in a chair.

The man had black hair that was pulled back into a ponytail, a few strands escaping to drape over his eyes, which were green. He was in the uniform of an officer, something that he didn't quite manage to look like, especially with the great coat tossed so casually on the other bed and the tie around his neck loosened. His slim body was nearly slumped into the chair, a smile on his face as he looked at Yugi.

"Ah, so you're awake. I tried to start a conversation with you, but you insisted on fainting." The man stood up, Yugi automatically taking a step back. There was something about this guy that made Yugi want to back away and move closer. He wasn't dangerous, at least not a direct danger to Yugi at the moment. No, it was the charisma and charm that Yugi could almost tangibly feel pouring off of him. And it almost frightened him. He was attracted to this man just because he felt like he could trust him; that his life was in good hands. But there was also the fact that he was physically attractive as well.

There was no question in Yugi's mind now that he was attracted to men and women. He had to be, especially if he was falling for this man…and the Pharaoh.

He shook his head before offering a smile, putting his hand forward. "I'm Yugi Mutou."

The man took his hand and gave it a firm shake. "Captain Duke Devlin of the 133st Squadron of the Royal Air Force." When Yugi raised an eyebrow, Duke reached behind him to dig into the pocket of his great coat, tossing Yugi a familiar looking leather wallet. "My identification is all in there, if you don't believe me."

Yugi opened the wallet, forcing himself not to blush as he read the contents before shaking his head, snapping the wallet shut with a smile. He tossed the rectangle back to Duke, a smile on his face. "But that's the tricky thing about psychic paper, _Captain_, it shows what you think. And what you're thinking about me, his highly inappropriate."

Duke smirked before opening the wallet himself, giving a playful wince. "And you, Yugi Mutou, have a girlfriend of about five years. And yet, you are considering yourself single?"

"No!" Yugi blushed, mortified that he had let his mind slip.

"Oh, you say here very single." Duke shook his head and slipped the wallet back into his pocket. "Unfortunately, you phrase it 'single towards one man'. Am I that man, Yugi?"

He shook his head, more to clear it than to answer the question, hating the fact that he was blushing. "I'm taken, sorry."

Duke laughed and leaned back in his chair, raising an eyebrow. "Alright then, just don't let your mind slip again. The psychic paper is always a great icebreaker at parties; you can see what people are really thinking."

Yugi shifted nervously, deciding not to comment on that. Did he really thing himself available just to the Pharaoh? But he had a girlfriend, he had Miho to think about. The problem was, he didn't think about her out here. He would think about Joey and his mother, but never Miho. Not because he didn't like her, but because he had started to grow apart. Actually, he didn't really know the reason behind the sudden change, just that he didn't really see them having a future together anymore.

He looked up suddenly, realizing that he had been thinking over his relationship problems in someone else's spaceship. Yugi blushed as he looked at Duke, the American patiently waiting for him to notice him. Yugi shook his head, hesitantly running a hand through his hair in his nervousness. "So, if you aren't from the military, then why are you-Ow."

He looked down at his hands, hissing at the raw red mark that ran down both his palms. Yugi shied backwards as Duke leaned forward, the taller man stepping out of his chair. He stood still after Duke gave him a sideways glance, sighing and holding his hands out for inspection. Duke gave a soft hum, quickly working at the tie around his neck. "Must have gotten them from the rope."

The tie was looped around his hands before Yugi could protest, binding them together. He glanced up at Duke, wanting to pull away. Whatever this man had planned for him, he didn't want to be a part of it. He had already dealt with Tomoya, just getting over the guilt of leading the other man on. He didn't want to have to face that guilt again.

The American scowled at him before securing the tie, pulling Yugi towards his chair near the controls of the ship. He dug his heels into the ground, hating his size as he was easy pulled toward the front, Duke flipping a switch and then stepping back. Immediately, Yugi's hands were surrounded by a golden glow, his palms tingling slightly before the sensation vanished, the glow disappearing moments later.

Duke moved back up beside him, taking the tie from around Yugi's hands before throwing it carelessly in a random direction. Yugi was too busy staring at his hands, the red marks gone from his palms. The look of shock on his face must have encouraged Duke to speak. "They're nanogenes, they came with the ship. But don't think that you have to act all surprised about it. I know who you are."

"Really?" Yugi looked up at him. In all his travels, he had only met people who knew the Pharaoh, but not him. He tipped his head to the side, waiting for Duke to continue.

The American nodded. "I can spot a Time Agent from a mile away, so you can drop the act. But, then again, your act wasn't that good in the end. You a rookie?"

Yugi stared at him for a while, thinking over what Duke had said. Ignoring the fact that the American was horribly off, he had a ship that was too advanced for this day and age, which meant that he might have the information that both he and the Pharaoh were looking for. And, if Duke thought he was one of these Time Agents already, it would be simple just to continue the act.

Yugi nodded to himself, making sure to sigh as he crossed his arms. "You got me there."

"Good, because I have a proposition for you."

"Proposition?"

"Uh-uh, not here." Duke stood up, opening a compartment and taking out two glass flutes and a champagne bottle before hitting a button with his elbow. Yugi was handed the bottle, the young man backing away as a section of the roof came down. Duke threw him a wink before climbing up to the top of the ship, Yugi glancing down at his shirt before cautiously following the man onto the roof.

He blinked as he realized that there wasn't anything to step on, Duke standing in mid-air. The American gave him a brilliant smile before setting down the glasses, pulling a small remote out of his pocket and pointing it at the ship. The nothingness under his feet shimmered for a moment before it was replaced with the dark metal of the ship, Duke motioning Yugi forward.

The young man complied with the request, setting the bottle down by the glasses. He tensed as Duke wrapped his arms around him, pulling him upright and back against the American. Flustered, Yugi turned his head, watching as Duke freed on arm to point at the interior of the ship, a nice instrumental tune floating out. Yugi blinked, trying to recognize it before he was spun around, pulled into a slow dance. He blushed, highly aware of every part of his body that rubbed against Duke's, wanting to both run away and remain there.

"I don't discuss business in there." Yugi shivered as Duke leaned down to whisper in his ear, sighing and leaning his head against Duke's chest without much of a thought. He should have pulled away, Duke's natural charm making it impossible to think straight. Damn his attraction to this man. He felt Duke's chest vibrate slightly as the American laughed. "It's so much nicer to discuss it up here, by the light of the moon."

Yugi barely flinched as a bomb went off, Duke holding him closer with the sound. He was barely aware that the American was still talking, sure that a goofy smile was crossing his face. "I have something that may interest the Agency, a Chula warship that recently fell, not far from here. It's clean and untouched, for the most part, had to check it out myself. But, it comes with a price." Yugi sighed happily, his eyes flickering shut. "Are you listening?"

"Of course, you've got something of interest that you want to sell." Yugi looked up, a smile on his face. "I may be short, but that doesn't mean that I was born yesterday."

"Good." Yugi was pulled away from Duke, the music coming to an end. He glanced back at the spaceship, hoping for more before he shook his head. He shouldn't be thinking like this, he had enough to worry about. He looked back up at Duke, surprised to see the American looking down at him with a serious expression. "So, will you buy?"

Yugi pretended to think it over. "I'll have to talk to my companion, loosen him up a bit." He glared at Duke as the man raised an eyebrow. "He's a bit of a stick in the mud."

"Oh, I hear you. I've had partners like that…of both kinds." Yugi's eyes widened, his mouth dropping open. Duke took the moment to place a glass of champagne in Yugi's hand, the young man automatically adjusting his hold so he wouldn't drop it.

Yugi glanced at the glass in his hand before looking up at Duke, a blush crossing his face. "Do you treat all your business partners this well?"

"Only the ones that I think it might pay off. And you, Yugi Mutou, are worth the effort." Yugi felt his blush deepen, hating himself for even responding to the flirting. Duke seemed to enjoy the effect that he was having on the young man, escorting him back down into his ship and slipping into his chair, replacing the champagne and sipping from his own glass. "Now we find that partner of yours. Should be easy enough to set up a scan for alien technology."

Yugi smirked into his glass, wondering what the Pharaoh would say to that. Here was someone who knew how to get things done quickly. He banished the though in the next instant. He _wouldn't_ allow himself to fall mindlessly for this man, no matter how attractive he was. He _had_ someone that he liked and that was the Pha-Miho. It was Miho.

And it was wrong that he had to keep reminding himself of that.

* * *

The Pharaoh leaned against the concrete as he watched Nancy stare at the barbed wire that covered the area. He shook his head and walked down the stairs, not bothering to hide now. He had followed her to this place, where she had suddenly stopped. And now, he would get his answers. "You're trying to make up for something by taking care of those kids."

She gasped and spun around, her hands clenched into fists. She glared at him for a moment before turning to look back at the area. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do. I do the same thing, all the time." The Pharaoh came to a stop beside her, leaning against another concrete block. "Well?"

Nancy sighed, giving in suddenly. The Pharaoh narrowed his eyes at this immediate surrender. He had thought that she would have had a bit more spunk that that. She turned to look at him, the resolve back in her eyes. "If you want to know about the bomb, you should go and see the doctor."

"The doctor?"

She nodded, pointing at the hospital behind the place where they were keeping the thing. "He knows more about it than what I could tell you, your best chance lies with him." Nancy turned to walk past him, looking over her shoulder as the Pharaoh went to catch her arm. "I'm sorry, I have to get back to the others."

"Why?" He watched her stiffen, realizing that she had hoped to avoid that question in the first place. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Why do you care about them so much?"

"It's the right thing to do."

"No, it's more than that. Believe me, I would know." He looked out over the area close to the hospital, seeing craters and ripped up turf. "I've seen wars and the war to end all wars. There's always a reason. And it's usually guilt."

He had gotten her with that, Nancy twitching slightly where she was standing before sighing, wrapping her arms around herself. "It was my brother, Jamie, he was hit by a bomb."

The Pharaoh froze, his eyes open wide. _"Don't worry about me, big brother, I'll be-"_

Nancy didn't seem to notice him, staring out across to the hospital. "I had to go out and get food for us, so I told him to stay. Then the Germans came in and he was scared, so scared of the bombs, and he went out to look for me." She wiped tears off her face. "I _told_ him to stay behind, but he didn't. And he died."

"_Mokuba? Mokuba, answer me!"_

"So, now you know." The Pharaoh managed to shake himself out of his frozen state, watching as the girl walked away. Suddenly, he wished that he hadn't found out the answer to his question and that he hadn't chased after that cylinder in the first place. This place was nearly overwhelming to him, reminding him too much of the Time War when it had spread to other planets. He shivered, wrapping his coat more tightly around him before beginning to walk towards the hospital, having to take the long way around the barbed wire fence that they had set up.

His gaze strayed down to his feet, staring at his boots as he walked, suddenly not caring if he slumped or not as he found himself pulled back into his memories, ones that he thought had gone away by now.

_He cursed and ducked behind the next building, wincing at the rasping voices that surrounded him. The last of his support was gone, leaving him. And he had told them to warn the others about what Daleks could do! He shook his head before peeking out, relieved when he way was clear. He decided to chance it and run, dashing from ruined structure to ruined structure, hoping that he wasn't spotted._

_The Pharaoh froze as the communicator that he had stuck in his ear crackled to life, pressing himself back against a building and panting for breath. It took a few seconds for the static to disappear completely, and then a familiar voice came over the line. "Big Brother?"_

"_Mokuba!"_

"_Oh thank Ra I found you. I thought that all of you were dead."_

"_All but me." The Pharaoh peeked out from behind his shelter, wincing as he heard the Dalek battle cry coming closer. "But that might not be for long."_

"_Hold on." There was the sound of typing, the Pharaoh inching from his spot before sprinting across the large open space and diving into another house, wincing as he landed on a dead body. This had happened so many times, tripping and falling over dead bodies, that it no longer bothered him physically. He shook his head and slipped through the house, making sure to stay out of the way of the few windows. "Got it!"_

_The Pharaoh placed his hand over the communicator, muffling the outside world for that one ear as he peeked out of the next doorway. There was no shame in retreating now, everyone else was dead. There was no way that there would be any chance to salvaging this. "Got what?"_

"_There are ships taking the survivors away. I've just finished talking to the captain of one; he'll wait until you get here."_

"_And by wait you mean?"_

"_Within the next hour." The Pharaoh sighed, glancing towards where the ships would be hidden. An hour was easily done. He checked his surroundings before racing out of the house, running as fast as he could towards the dense forest. Once he got in there, he would be safe, the Daleks couldn't move around well in that sort of terrain._

_He shoved aside a branch, nearly diving into the forest at the sound of Daleks moving past. He was safe for a bit now. The Pharaoh sighed before turning and beginning to run, breaking through the forest. It was only when he was safe that he blinked, realizing what was wrong with this situation. "Mokuba, how could you contact them if you're on Gallifrey?"_

"_I'm not."_

"_N-not what?" He already partially guessed what the answer was, but he was hoping that he was wrong._

"_I'm not on Gallifrey, they sent me out with the rest of the team here."_

"_Mokuba!"_

"_I'm safe! They can't-" There were screams from the other end, the Pharaoh hearing a curse from his little brother. He heard Mokuba shouting out orders, patiently waiting for his brother to finish. The safety of those people relied on Mokuba, no matter how much he hated the idea. After what seemed like ages, Mokuba spoke to him again. "Alright, start running; your time just got cut short."_

_The Pharaoh smiled, breaking into a run. "Running I can do. How long?"_

"_Fast as you can. You're probably going to have to do something creative." The Pharaoh winced at the sounds of more screams. He cursed, glancing up and watching the first ships take off._

"_Get out of there, Mokuba. I'll be there soon enough."_

"_No, they need me here."_

"_Damn it, Mokuba. Get out of there!"_

"_Don't worry about me, big brother, I'll be-"There was an explosion on the other end, the signal cutting out a moment later. The Pharaoh sped up, pushing through the last of the forest as he screamed into the communicator._

"_Mokuba? Mokuba, answer me!"_

__

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_Please read and review. Constructive criticism is welcome._


	31. Plague

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter Thirty: Plague**

**Chapter Thirty: Plague**

"_You're very sick."__  
"__Dying, I should think. I just haven't been able to find the time."_

_-The Doctor and Dr. Constantine_

He came back to himself standing inside the hospital, only then realizing that he was shaking. The Pharaoh reached out to brace himself against a wall, trembling for a while before forcing himself onward. There had been no reason for his brother's death, but that was war in a nutshell; pointless deaths. He sighed and ran a hand over his face, easily gathering his composure back. He was getting too good at that.

The Pharaoh began to walk through the hospital, stopping at one of the open wards and staring at the people that were inside it. He frowned and continued on, pausing at a corridor with a light at the end of it. He looked forward before taking the turn. The doors on this hall were closed, the Pharaoh finding himself trying to be as quiet as possible as he went along.

He pushed open the door at the end of the corridor, blinking at the dim light and the old man sitting at a desk. The man looked up at him, adjusting his white jacket before sitting up, leaning slightly on a cane to do so because of the awkward angle of his chair. "Hello?"

"I was told by Nancy that a doctor would be able to answer my questions."

The old man nodded, settling back in his chair. "Nancy did the right thing in sending you here." The man tipped his head to the side, studying the Pharaoh. "Perhaps you could be some help to us. My name is Dr. Constantine."

The Pharaoh nodded, not offering his name as he was distracted by the bodies that were around the room, all of them wearing gas masks. He tipped his head to the side, looking at the still forms on the camp beds. "What is this?"

"That's the golden question. It started with a young boy, Jamie," the Pharaoh paused at the name, "Nancy's little brother. He was brought here and, suddenly, all the people who had touched him were displaying the same symptoms."

"Symptoms?" The Pharaoh reached for his sonic screwdriver, edging over to the closest bed while shaking his head. "Once you get hit by a bomb, you're dead."

"Really?"

"Yes. I lost my little brother that way."

"My condolences to you." He paused, looking over at Dr. Constantine before nodding his thanks. The old man sounded serious about it, a nice break from all the people who just apologized because it seemed like the right thing to do. "But I do mean symptoms. Feel free to examine them, just don't touch them."

The Pharaoh nodded, taking out his sonic screwdriver and listening to it as he moved it down the body, frowning at what information he was getting. "The skull is almost completely caved in on the left, as is the chest. And the gas mask…it's fused to their faces."

"And what, in your opinion, would the cause of death be?" The Pharaoh pondered the question, staring at the jagged scar on the hand of the person.

"The impact of the bomb."

"No."

His head jerked up to look at the old man. "The crushing of their lungs."

"No."

"Then what?"

"There is no cause of death." The Pharaoh took a step away from the body that he was examining, glancing down at it before shaking his head. There was no way that any person could survive these injuries and still live. Dr. Constantine gave him a kindly smile before coughing and clearing his throat. "They are simply not dead."

Constantine rapped his cane against a table, the Pharaoh jumping backwards as all the bodies in the ward sat up at the same time, their faces turning to look at Constantine before looking at him, the Pharaoh getting a glimpse of what was within the gas masks.

There was nothing, no eyes or horribly contorted flesh that would have come with the injuries that these people would have suffered. It was just empty, the Pharaoh able to see to the other side of the person's head, which looked exactly like the green plastic of the mask itself.

He shivered, trying to hide the reaction as the people all looked back at Constantine before slowly lying back down. The Pharaoh carefully backed away from them, returning to the center of the room. He tensed as he heard Dr. Constantine laughing, glancing over at the old man.

Constantine leaned over to cough, raising his right hand before pausing and instead letting his cane go to cover his mouth with his left. He waved the Pharaoh away as he approached, looking around the room. "They're not alive, not really, but they don't die. I do what I can to make them comfortable, but I hear that the government is going to have this hospital bombed to remove the symptoms that have become a plague and blame it on the Germans. Until then, I'll remain."

The Pharaoh stared as Dr. Constantine began to cough again, not moving since he had been warned away once before. He looked around the room, hoping to see something that would help him solve this, something had to have started this, because history was not meant to take this route, he could feel that this was wrong.

"If you want answers," he looked over at Constantine, "go to room 802. It's where they took the child when he first came here."

The old man bent over, coughing and resting a hand on his throat like he was choking. The Pharaoh started forward, freezing as the jagged scar that was on the man's hand, remembering what Constantine had said. Everyone who touched these people contracted this strange disease, or whatever it was. Unconsciously, he took a step backwards, staring at the doctor as the elderly man forced himself back upright, now struggling to get the words out. "You must…talk to Nancy. She knows…more…I could…never get her to speak…but you could. I have my theories that…" Constantine cut himself off, staring at the Pharaoh with a look of complete confusion. "Are you my mummy?"

The Pharaoh took a step backwards at the sound of bones cracking, Dr. Constantine's face contorting in pain before he opened his mouth, as if to scream. Instead, a circular grill emerged from his open mouth, slowly sliding out even as his eyes widened, losing their color as they became blank and edged with metal. The sound of the doctor's skull cracking became more obvious, his skin slowly turning green as a gas mask was formed out of his face. The transformation ended as abruptly as it had begun, Constantine slumping against the table that he had sat at, the Pharaoh staring at him for a while before turning and running.

Memories of looking through dead bodies for friends and family plagued him, replaying themselves in his head until he was ready to scream. He didn't know where he was going, only slowing down as he began to charge up the stairs, realizing that he was running from the room that would end all of this. He forced himself to slow to a walk, leaning against the railing and shaking his head.

He was over the Time War, he had to be. He was the only one left. He had won. He had defeated the last Dalek and ended the Time War, finally. He had to keep himself together to keep from sinking into the depression that had followed the Time War. He still hated himself for that, days spent just stalking around the TARDIS, unable to do anything for a while. He was still unable to sleep for more than a few hours without nightmares, glad that he only needed a few hours of sleep to keep himself going.

"There he is!" The Pharaoh paused on the stairwell, turning around to see Yugi smiling at him from the base, tensing as another man walked out of the hallway to stand behind Yugi. The other man immediately stood close to the young man, a smile on his face. The Pharaoh resisted the urge to order the man away from _his_ companion, not wanting to show that emotion. "Told you that we would find him."

He looked up at the stairs before shaking his head and walking back down to where Yugi was, refraining from smiling as Yugi drifted closer to him, where the human belonged. Unfortunately, the man followed Yugi over, grabbing onto the Pharaoh's hand and giving it a firm shake. "It's great to meet you Mr. Spock."

The Pharaoh dropped the man's hand, looking between the man and Yugi, glaring at the human as Yugi rested a hand on his arm. "Duke has something interesting that he wants to show us."

"Does he now?" The Pharaoh shot a look at the smiling man, not inclined to like him at all.

Yugi cleared his throat, drawing the Pharaoh's attention back to him. "I had to tell him that we were Time Agents though. Sorry."

He stared at Yugi in incomprehension for a while before shaking his head, pulling himself together and forcing himself to look stern. He rested a hand on Yugi's shoulder and began to steer him down the hall, heading for a large room where they could talk instead of standing in a hallway. "I hope that it was for a good reason, Yugi."

Yugi nodded, both of them looking over their shoulders at Duke, Yugi lowering his voice to a whisper. "He said he knew what the metal cylinder was, a Chula warship. He wants to sell it to us and he said that, if we don't buy it soon, a German bomb will fall on it."

The Pharaoh froze in the hallway, turning to look back at Duke before shoving Yugi into the nearest room, aware that Duke was still following them, obviously getting impatient with their talking. He was about to turn around and yell at the man to give them some privacy when he heard Yugi take a sharp breath, the young man walking further into the dimly lit room, looking around at all the other people that were in the small cots.

The Time Lord watched his companion make a quick circuit of the room, his eyes wide before he rushed back to the Pharaoh, ignoring the strange look that Duke gave them before flipping over the device on his wrist and going to examine the nearest body with it. Yugi looked up at the Pharaoh before shaking his head. "What happened to them?"

He glanced up at Duke, crossing his arms over his chest and raising an eyebrow. The man stood up shakily, flipping the device on his wrist closed before turning to look at the Pharaoh, seemingly shocked by the accusing look. Duke shook his head, gesturing at the people. "This isn't my fault!"

"You were the one who landed that ship here. Didn't you think that they would open it and see if there was something to win the war in there?"

"They can't, it's sealed. I sealed it myself!" Duke looked at the both of them, going to stand in the center of the room away from both of them and on the other side of the table that was there. "I'm the one that parked it and it's nothing dangerous."

"A Chula _warship_, not dangerous?" The Pharaoh gave a halfhearted laugh, shaking his head.

Duke slapped his hands down on the table, the medical supplies that were on it rattling, some of them clattering to the ground. "It's just an ambulance, damn it! It's empty and nothing could open it without the code that I have. There's nothing that's dangerous about it!"

The Pharaoh stepped forward to glare at him, ignoring Yugi's tightening grip on his arm. "That harmless ambulance is the only thing out of place here."

"It was empty!"

"Pharaoh." He shot a glare at Yugi, ready to yell at the young man for interrupting his shouting match with Duke, the glare disappearing as he watched his companion shrink back, edging towards the door. He blinked, realizing that their shouting had attracted the attention of the people in the room. The people were moving from their beds, slowly getting to their feet and shuffling towards them, finding their voices moments later.

"Mummy?"

The Pharaoh immediately grabbed Yugi's arm and turned to get out of the room, Duke could be left behind to deal with the consequences of his action, but the door opened to admit more of the shuffling people. Yugi squeaked and began to back away, taking the Pharaoh with him. The Time Lord looked around for a way out; barely noticing that Duke had ended up on Yugi's other side. Almost unconsciously, he reached back to push Yugi behind him, not wanting them to touch the young man. If they could get to a window...But they were two floors up, a fall from that height would kill them, and he was not willing to risk Yugi's life like that. There had to be another way to escape. He growled to himself, tipping his head to the side to look at the two close to him. "Don't touch them."

"Why?"

He narrowed his eyes to glare at Duke before looking back at the advancing people. "You're looking at the reason."

Duke went silent, the Pharaoh feeling Yugi cling more tightly to him, letting out a whimper as they backed into a wall. The Pharaoh looked behind them before turning back to face the shuffling people, his eyes going wide. They had managed to get themselves trapped against the wall. There was no way out without having one of the infected people touch them.

A whimper from Yugi drew his attention back to the young man, the Pharaoh looking down at his companion before taking a deep breath. Duke was essentially useless at this point, the American wouldn't be able to handle this situation and the Pharaoh didn't trust him with Yugi's safety. He had promised Junri that he would keep her son safe, and he intended to keep his word.

Gently, he pried Yugi's fingers from around his arm, pushing the young man back towards Duke. Unfortunately, he didn't have the time to choose his allies, so Duke would have to do for now. The Pharaoh gave the American a long look, surprised to see Duke hesitate before giving a sharp nod. Apparently, there was a conscious deep within Duke, but he wasn't willing to put that to the test; at least, not yet.

He took a step forward, crossing his arms and glaring at the people, noticing that they hesitated for the briefest moment before continuing to move forward, the Pharaoh shifting slightly so that they would reach him before Duke and Yugi. Now he was the only thing that could save their lives.

He hoped that his plan would work.

__

* * *

_Please read and review. Constructive criticism is welcome._


	32. The Pharaoh Dances

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter Thirty-One: The Pharaoh Dances **

**Chapter Thirty-One: The Pharaoh Dances **

"_What's life? Life's easy. A quirk of matter. Nature's way of keeping meat fresh."_

_-The Doctor_

He heard Yugi struggling a bit as Duke held him, forcing himself not to turn around and look at his companion. This would all work out and then he could berate Duke for his stupidity. Failure was not an option here. Besides, he knew how to deal with children; it was a skill that, once acquired, never went away. "Go to your room."

The people paused, having obviously heard the command. The Pharaoh uncrossed his arms, watching as the people shifted back, allowing him to take a step forward. He glared at all of them, not even sure if they could see him, but he shoved the thought to the back of his mind, continuing with his plan. "Did you hear me?"

They were wavering now, some beginning to drift away while a few remained where they were. The Pharaoh raised an eyebrow. "To your room…NOW!"

He pointed in a vague direction, watching as the people began to shuffle away, all of them heading back to their beds. The Pharaoh smiled and lowered his arm, spinning around to look at Duke and Yugi. The American looked confused by what had gone on, while Yugi looked like he was holding back a laugh. The young man looked up at him, moving away from Duke. "I'm glad that worked."

"That makes two of us."

"I mean, those would have been horrible last words." The Pharaoh rolled his eyes and moved back to the center of the room, shooting a glare at the one remaining person who was just lying down, partially amused when the person quickly settled down.

"How?"

The Pharaoh smirked at Duke. "They all were infected from one little boy who was hit by your 'harmless' ambulance, hence they would think as a child. Now," he turned the smirk into a glare, "why would you want to be selling fellow Time Agents something falsely labeled?"

"An ambulance is a warship…it's used in war." The Pharaoh shook his head, enjoying the sight of Duke squirming nervously. The man knew that his defense was flimsy and the Time Lord just wanted to hear Duke say it himself. Duke turned around, pacing one side of the room before looking back at them. The American stopped dead in his tracks, staring at Yugi. The Pharaoh glanced down at his companion, trying to smother a smile as he watched Yugi stare at Duke, his violet eyes wide. He was glad that Yugi was on his side, no living thing would be able to stand up to that stare without feeling guilt. And, as predicted, Duke caved quickly. "Alright, it was a con, that's what I do! I take a piece of junk and try to sell it to Time Agents, usually in a place where it can be disposed of easily. I ask for half the money up front, the object is destroyed. It's the perfect con. Pompeii is one of my favorite's…Hey!"

The Time Lord turned away, walking back toward the hallway. He had better things to do than to listen to Duke try to defend himself. In the Time Lord's mind, Duke was already a lost cause. The man had already tried to con them and had put Yugi in danger, there was very little that Duke could do to earn his trust.

Duke rushed around in front of him, standing in his way and pointing a finger at the Time Lord. "Listen, I did _nothing_ to make this happen."

The Pharaoh said nothing, just glaring at Duke before stepping around him and continuing to walk. He paused long enough for Yugi to catch up with him, ignoring the fact that Duke was still following them. Right now, he didn't care enough.

"Where are we going?" The Pharaoh blinked at Yugi's question before nodding in the direction of the staircase beginning to climb it.

"We're going to room 802, to where this all started. I want answers and I want to know why human DNA is being rewritten by an idiot."

"Hey!"

The Pharaoh didn't look back at Duke, instead focusing on climbing the stairs. He let his mind wander as he climbed, automatically checking the plaques that pointed out the rooms on the floor before moving on. What would Nancy know that Dr. Constantine did not? The doctor had been the one to see all of the symptoms and watch the transformation of the other people, while Nancy had been spending her time on the street, with the other children. The girl was just trying to get over the guilt of being the cause of her little brother's death. Or was that just an act? He would know about acting like the world didn't affect him.

The Pharaoh shook his head and turned down a corridor, easily finding the room that they were looking for. To his surprise, the door to room 802 was unlocked, and the interior looked more like an observation station than something to help a child. He narrowed his eyes at the broken glass window, the shards of glass littering the table and the recorder that was there.

He carefully brushed the shards from the recorder, watching as Yugi walked up to try the door that led into the observation room, the young man looking over at the Pharaoh when the door turned out to be locked. The Pharaoh was reaching into his pocket for the sonic screwdriver when Duke walked over to Yugi and gently pushed him aside, his hand lingering on Yugi's arm for a little longer than necessary. The Time Lord bit back a growl and tried to get himself to focus on the recorder, but his attention was attracted by the blaster than Duke pulled out of his pocket.

The Pharaoh identified it as sonic, so no danger to Yugi, but the design was interesting. It was from the fifty-first century, putting Duke in that time period at some point. He rolled his eyes and gave the recorder one last look over, deciding that it would work fine before walking toward the now opened door of the observation room, staring at the square hole that Duke's blaster had made where the handle had once been.

He stepped into the room, watching Yugi slowly turn in place before looking around the room quickly. The floor had a few toys scattered over it and the walls were covered with childish drawings of females. The Pharaoh scowled and walked to the nearest picture, one hand reaching out to touch it before he pulled his hand away, not sure if the disease of symptoms could be passed like that. The Pharaoh shook his head and walked out of the room before walking back to the recorder, aware that Yugi was watching him. The Pharaoh flicked the switch on the recorder on, watching as the reels started working before walking back into the room, listening as the voices were played.

"Do you know where you are?" That voice was Dr. Constantine's, spoken slowly and kindly, obviously aimed at a child.

"Where's my mummy?" The Pharaoh watched Yugi jump, his eyes widening before the young man took a step closer to the Pharaoh. He gently caught a hold of Yugi's sleeve, offering comfort in the only way that he would allow himself before turning his focus back to the recording.

"Are you aware of what happened?"

"I want my mummy? Are you my mummy?"

"Do you know who you are?"

"Mummy?"

The Pharaoh moved back into the room, watching Yugi cringe slightly as the recording continued to play the boy's calls for his mother. He wanted to wrap an arm around Yugi, but he wouldn't let himself, instead focusing on Duke. The man was standing in the middle of the room, looking visibly shaken. He glanced at the Pharaoh before pointing to the smashed window. "How…"

"How do you think?" There was a click and then the sound of something loose flapping from behind him.

Duke shook his head, looking apprehensive. "That thing must be really powerful."

"It is, or it has become that powerful." The Pharaoh turned so his back to the window, taking Yugi with him as the young man moved to stay close to him. "And the only way that could have happened was with your piece of space junk. Now, tell me that you had nothing to do with this."

Duke shook his head, his whole body shivering before looking away. The Pharaoh nodded to himself, sure that Duke would no longer argue that point. He turned his attention down to Yugi, watching as the young man shuddered at his side. He froze as he realized what was causing Yugi to act this way, not flinching as Yugi pressed against his side. "Please, make it stop."

"I can't Yugi."

"Please." He shook his head. "I don't want to hear it."

"Yugi, I can't." He flinched at the tortured look that Yugi threw at him, hating himself for being unable to offer any comfort. "The recording ended already."

Yugi's eyes widened. "Then what?"

"I sent them all back to their rooms, but the original victim is the brain behind all of this. So the order would go for him too." The Pharaoh looked around the room, watching as Duke and Yugi caught on. "This is his room."

All three of them turned around, Yugi knocking the end of the Pharaoh's coat out of the way, all three of them staring at the child that stood on the other side of the shattered window. The child tipped his head to the side before speaking. "Are you my mummy?"

"Move!"

The Pharaoh found himself shoved out of the way as Duke lunged forward, sonic blaster aimed at the wall. A large square disappeared from the wall, the American rushing forward. The Pharaoh gave Yugi a push before following, stumbling to one side as Duke aimed the blaster at the door again, the three of them leaning against the wall and panting for breath.

The wall between them and the child suddenly bulged outward, some of the bricks beginning to come loose. They all jumped, Duke getting ready to run down the hallway only to backpedal as the people in gas masks shuffled down the hallway towards them. The Pharaoh looked down to the opposite end of the hallway, more of the people moving slowly towards them. His hand inched towards his sonic screwdriver, not sure what it could do against these people. For a moment, he wished that he had a gun.

The thought was shaken away quickly, the Pharaoh freezing up for a moment before forcing himself back to the present. He had sworn that he wouldn't carry a gun after the Time War; not able to face the memories. He had been a killer once. He didn't want to be a killer again.

He glanced over his shoulder, watching as Duke positioned himself to hold off the people with his sonic blaster, looking desperately around for a way to escape. But they were blocked both ways. Even a jump out of the window would lead to certain death for them. The Pharaoh cursed under his breath, slowly backing up as he tried to think of something.

Yugi was the one who moved first, pushing away from the wall and rushing over to Duke. The young man nearly threw himself on Duke's arms, forcing the American to aim the sonic blaster at the floor. Duke yelped as Yugi forcibly pressed the trigger. "Going down!"

The floor disappeared from under them, sending them tumbling to the floor below. The Pharaoh grunted as he landed, rolling up onto his feet. He saw Duke fire the blaster back at the ceiling to close the hole that they had fallen through, reaching down to help Yugi up. The Pharaoh froze in place at the sound of something shifting in the room, using the hand that wasn't reaching down for Yugi to dig the sonic screwdriver out of his pocket, aiming the instrument at the nearest lamp.

The bulb on the lamp flared to life for a brief moment, showing them the people moving from their cots before the bulb exploded. The Pharaoh shoved the sonic screwdriver into his pocket, nearly picking Yugi up from the ground before hurrying his companion towards the door out of the ward, listening to Duke race after them.

The three of them barreled out into the well lit hallway, Yugi sliding to a stop at the sight of more of the people emerging from other wards. The Pharaoh glanced at a door beside them before throwing it open. When a quick glance revealed no infected people, he shoved Yugi in, rushing in himself and holding the door open long enough for Duke to leap through before slamming it shut, using the sonic screwdriver to lock the door behind them.

He leaned against the door, looking at the room that had become their refuge with a sinking heart. They had managed to get them into a storage closet with no other escape than the window, which was still impossible to get out of. And those people wouldn't move from the door for a long while.

"Good job." The Pharaoh turned to look at Duke as he let out a laugh, the American flopping down in a nearby chair, nearly falling over as one of the legs gave out. "You've gotten us stuck."

"Better than dead."

"Oh, but not by much." The man laughed again, leaning forward to keep the chair from complaining. "So, how are you going to get us out? Or are you just going to try and pin the blame on me again?"

The Pharaoh was about to snap back at Duke when he saw the look on Yugi's face, the young man shivering and leaning against the wall. Before Duke could even think about getting up, he crossed the room to Yugi, standing close to the young man. While he couldn't touch Yugi, he just couldn't bring himself to; it would convey a clear message that Yugi was _his_ companion. "Yugi?"

"That child…he doesn't know who his mother is. He _died_ and he was brought back. And all he wants is his mother…"

"We'll get out of here." Yugi looked up at him, the frightened look in his eyes disappearing. The young man finally nodded, pushing away from the wall and looking around the room, his mouth dropping open in shock. The Pharaoh glanced in the direction that Yugi was looking in before snorting in annoyance. "Of course."

"Duke left us?"

"Yugi, do you distrust me that much?" Duke's voice suddenly echoed around the small storeroom, Yugi jumping while the Pharaoh turned to glare at the old radio that was in the room. Yugi followed his gaze, giving a relieved sigh. "I just teleported back to my ship, I would have taken you, but that takes some adjusting. It's keyed to me for a safety measure. For now, we can speak through Om-Com."

The Pharaoh laughed, leaning on the radio. "That's interesting, the child can use Om-Com technology too."

"He can?"

The Pharaoh nodded, not looking at Yugi. "He was able to call the TARDIS."

"But that phone is broken."

"I know."

"Well, I'll get this thing working and, unless your _partner_ has figured out a way out, I'll come and get you." The Pharaoh nearly growled at the stress that Duke put on the word partner before turning away from the radio, catching the blush on Yugi's face; the slight tinge of red bringing him up short. Could Yugi be falling for Duke?

Now he knew the reason for the sudden drop of his stomach and the way his heart throbbed uncomfortably, and he was beyond trying to deny it. But there was nothing he could do about it. He was a scarred Time Lord and Yugi was a young human. Yugi had his whole life ahead of him, Yugi had places to go, things to see, Yugi had a girlfriend.

And, in the end, Yugi would be dead long before the Pharaoh. He didn't want to loose another loved one. It was better this way.

But it still hurt so much when Yugi looked at someone else and smiled, because he wanted that smile to be reserved for him.

The Pharaoh shook his head, turning to look back at Yugi, only to find that his companion had taken a seat in a wheelchair, obviously settling back for a long wait. The Pharaoh found himself drifting over to Yugi, both of them freezing as another voice drifted over the disconnected radio. "I'm coming to find you. Coming to find you, mummy?"

Yugi shuddered at the voice, the Pharaoh moving to stand by him. The Time Lord froze again as Duke's voice came back over the radio. "And now we have a special song going out to a very special person, Glenn Miller's Moonlight Serenade. Here's to you, kid."

The soft tune came over the radio, Yugi blushing as he recognized the tune, looking up at the Pharaoh before looking down at the ground. The Time Lord took a step back, sighing before digging the sonic screwdriver out of his pocket. He would work on Plan B then, anything to keep him away from Yugi for now. He didn't want to admit that he had just lost this round to Duke.

* * *

Nancy moved through the deserted house, gathering food into a bag, barely noticing how strange that half the contents of her bag were things that were only found on the black market. She was too focused on getting out of the house as quickly as possible.

She had seen Jamie pass, walking back towards the hospital before she had even dared to go into the house. She was reluctant to even meet what remained of him, because the memories would be too much. Her hand hovered over something before she decided that they didn't need it, walking over to a window and throwing the bag out of it, watching it land in a bush. At least it was hidden from sight.

Nancy went to climb out of the window, pausing as she looked back into the kitchen, her mind buzzing. Jamie seemed to be following her, which made sense considering what she was to him, but that was just putting the other children in danger. The need to protect them and the need to care for them warred within her until she stepped away from the window, sighing in defeat. It was time for her to make a choice, no matter how much she hated to.

The children would never be safe if this problem was not solved. This problem would come first and then she could return to caring for the children. She vowed that to herself, sneaking around the house to find a pair of barbed wired cutters and some heavy gloves, raising an eyebrow at their presence in the house before scurrying to the back door.

Just as she reached for the handle of the door, it opened, revealing the large man that was the head of the family. Before he could even react, Nancy was running for the window, quickly throwing herself out of it. She grunted as she landed in the bush, reaching for her sack of food and the wire cutters before shoving the latter into the former and running, a smile crossing her face as the man behind shouted curses at her. But even he was drowned out by the all clear signal.

Finally things were looking up.

Nancy ran through the streets, heading for some of the abandoned houses. This route would take her past one of their usual hideouts, one of the many that they had scattered all over the city, but it was the quickest one to the next safe house. She was just about to pass that safe house when she heard a noise, slowing her run and turning her head.

She scowled as she saw a child scrambling into the safe house, shaking her head and navigating the steep slope that led down to the house, flinging aside the cloth door and watching as the children flinched, one looking up from the typewriter that he was using. Nancy sighed before setting down her sack and glaring at them. "I thought I said a different safe house every night."

"But we didn't know if you were coming back. You took a long time."

"This is _war_, I might not come back one night and then you're on your own. Bombs get people everyday." She dropped the harshness in her voice as they all turned toward her fearfully. They had all heard about Jamie and it was a source of nightmares for some of the younger children. Nancy shivered at the thought of Jamie, trying not to break down into tears. She had to be strong about this, for the rest of them. "I have to go."

"What? Why?"

"There's something I have to do and then I'll be back."

"But we need you here."

"No you don't!" Nancy looked at them the harshness back in her voice. She needed to make them understand that she had to go away. Sighing, she swept some of her hair behind her ear. "You're not safe because of me."

"We're not safe without you."

Nancy found herself staring at the typewriter, feeling her stomach sink as it continued to type away. She looked up at them before kneeling down and digging through the sack to retrieve the gloves and wire cutters. "No you're not, because even now he's after me."

"Who?"

"Let me ask you this," Nancy stood up, putting on the gloves, "if Jimmy has stopped typing, then what is that typewriter doing?"

The all looked at the paper, the children gulping as they read the printed message, the same four words over and over again. Are you my mummy? Are you my mummy?

Nancy nodded as the children looked up at her fearfully, gently nudging the sack towards them. "Remember, a different place each night and eat your vegetables."

She walked out into the night again, heading back for the place where that bomb had dropped, the thing that had changed her life. Nancy scoffed and shook her head. No, it was the second thing that had changed her life. Jamie had been the first major change. And the guilt returned in full force. It had been her fault that Jamie had been out that night. She had _known_ how scared he was of the bombs, but she still had gone out. She should have known better.

"I'm sorry, Jamie." She murmured, shaking her head as she skirted around the edges of the place where they were holding the bomb under observation. "I'm so sorry."

She took a deep breath and moved down to where a large shadow crossed over the barbed wire, carefully setting her cutters to the wire and pushing down on them. Nancy winced as the wire broke, carefully continuing until she had cut a hole wide enough for her to get through. She relaxed, setting the wire cutters aside for a while before getting ready to crawl through the hole.

Hands landed on her shoulders, Nancy looking up as two guards lifted her up before beginning to escort her away, one remaining behind a moment to collect her wire cutters. She struggled a bit before she realized that she was being led into where she wanted to go, quickly calming down.

To her dismay, she was led away from the covered cylinder and towards a shed, the officer in charge following the men. Nancy lowered her head and remained quiet, listening intently to the conversation. "We found her with these," there was the clatter of the wire cutters, "trying to get in."

The officer gave a long sigh. "I don't have time to question her about this now. Just leave her with Jenkins for now and I'll get to her."

Nancy was led to a small hut, tensing as she saw the soldier leaning against the table, looking sick. She looked down at his hands, immediately spotting the small lightening shaped scar on the back of one of his hands. She shook her head, trying to dig her heels into the ground. "No!"

"What's the matter?" The solider holding with her struggled for a moment before forcing her to sit in a chair. Nancy shook her head, trying to get up only to be pushed down again. She swallowed before looking up at the soldier.

"I'll be quiet, I'll do everything that you ask. Just don't leave me here with him." The soldier looked at her before looking at Jenkins and shaking his head, reaching to handcuff her to the table. Nancy whimpered and shook her head, struggling to get away as she was handcuffed to the table. "Please!"

"Don't worry, miss, you're in safe hands." Nancy looked at Jenkins, noticing for a second that he almost reminded her of…But she shook the thought out of her head quickly. This man was dangerous right now. And she couldn't stay here.

"Listen, you have to let me go. I won't escape I just…I just can't save you."

"What are you talking about?" Jenkins looked at her, now rubbing his throat. Nancy shivered and gave the handcuffs another yank.

"Do you have a mother?"

"Yes."

"What's her name?"

"Julianne."

"Do you have a wife?"

Jenkins stared at her for a long time before nodding, choking out his answer. "Yes."

"What's her name?" Jenkins went to answer but just stared at her, the mix of confusion and horror in his eyes telling her enough. He didn't know, he didn't remember. "Do you have kids? What are they're names? What's your name?"

Jenkins was shaking his head now, twitching. Nancy winced and sat back as far as she could in her chair as he choked on his own voice, struggling to get the words out. "Are…you…my…mummy?"

She turned her head away as he let out a short scream, cut off by the gas mask that was slowly growing out of his face. Nancy shut her eyes and tried not to look, a tear sliding down her cheek at the sound of his skull cracking.

She felt sorry for this soldier, he had tried his best and now he was stuck like them. Like Jamie. And now she would be next unless she thought of something. Nancy opened her eyes and stared at the ground, trying to think even as she heard the transformation completing beside her. She swallowed nervously and looked up, watching as Jenkins straightened up, his head tipping to one side. "Mummy?"

He reached out to touch her, Nancy leaning back as far as the handcuffs would let her. There had to be something that she could do, something to save herself from the frightened man. Nancy stared at him for a moment. If all the infected people were like Jamie, then the same thing would calm them down.

Nancy rocked a little bit further out of reach before opening her mouth and beginning to sing.

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* * *

_Please read and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome._


	33. Dancing, Flirting & Zombies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter Thirty-Two: Dancing, Flirting and Zombies**

**Chapter Thirty-Two: Dancing, Flirting and Zombies**

"_1941\. Right now, not very far from here the German war machine is rolling up the map of Europe. Country after country, falling like dominoes. Nothing can stop it, nothing until one tiny, damp little island says, "No. No, not here." A mouse in front of a lion. You're amazing. The lot of you. Don't know what you do to Hitler, but you frighten the hell out of me. Off you go, then. Do what you got to do. Save the world."_

_-The Doctor_

Yugi tipped his head back, rolling his wheelchair back and forth as he listened to the music coming from the radio, the soft tune interrupted but the whirr of the sonic screwdriver. The young man glanced over at the concrete wall by the window, watching the Pharaoh work on the wall before going back to his aimless rolling, glancing over at the radio again.

"Your impatience does nothing to help me." Yugi glanced up as the Pharaoh spoke, wondering how the Time Lord even knew about that, but decided to let it go. He shook his head and sat up, flinching as the move made his wheelchair roll forward suddenly, quickly reaching down to put the brake on.

"Considering that I'm not as smart as you are, I would only mess things up."

"Don't say that."

"What?" Yugi tipped his head to the side, not sure if he had heard the mutter that had come from the Time Lord. He watched the Pharaoh tense before the Time Lord relaxed, turning slightly to look at him while keeping the sonic screwdriver pointed at the wall.

"Why do you trust Duke anyway?"

Yugi blinked, staring at the Pharaoh before releasing the brake on the wheelchair and beginning his rolling again, more to disguise his thought process than have something to do. He hadn't realized that he had given off the impression of trusting Duke, but he guessed that he did, in the end. Duke _had_ saved him from falling to his death and gotten him back to the Pharaoh. He bit his lip and stared at the ceiling, sighing before answering.

"Because he reminds me of you, I guess. He's got that same ego size that you do." The Pharaoh laughed at that, Yugi smiling and putting the brake on his wheelchair down again, leaning his hands onto his knees. He chuckled himself before getting serious again. "He's like you, except more into things."

"What kinds of things?"

He gave a shrug, aware that the Pharaoh wasn't looking at him. "Flirting and, I don't know, dancing."

The whirr of the sonic screwdriver stopped, the Pharaoh looking at him directly with a look of shock on his face, the emotion lasting for a mere split second before he shook it off, the mask returning. Yugi blinked and stared at the Pharaoh, not expecting that reaction to his random answer. To be honest, he hadn't thought his answer all the way through. Looking back on half the stuff that he and the Pharaoh did, one could easily assume that they were flirting as well. But a single glance at the Pharaoh would be enough to show that he didn't care for Yugi, at least not in that way.

They were just friends, an odd sort of friendship that involved mostly insults, but friends nonetheless. And, while Yugi would sometimes find himself staring at the Pharaoh and smiling for seemingly no reason, there was not enough adequate reasons for them to change the way they were. This worked and it suited both of them just right. He smiled to himself, absently fingering the brake for the wheelchair. Besides, they were both happy with things the way they were. And there was no reason to change that.

He looked up as the sonic screwdriver was put back to work, the Pharaoh shaking his head. "You think that I don't…"

Yugi sat up straight, staring at the Pharaoh as the Time Lord let his sentence trail off. He tipped his head to the side, waiting for an answer from the Pharaoh, finally speaking as he didn't receive one. "You don't?"

The Pharaoh remained silent for a little while longer, focusing on the wall. He seemed to be debating something, Yugi sometimes catching the edge of his gaze before the Pharaoh went back to staring at the wall. After a few minutes of internal debate the Pharaoh finally spoke. "You think that I don't…dance."

It was painfully obvious that the word was a substitution at the last minute, but the distaste that the Pharaoh put over the single word was enough to have Yugi smiling.

So, the Time Lord had been flirting with him; that made things more interesting. His smile faded the next moment as he remembered the reason that he shouldn't be happy. He still had Miho back home and part of him was beginning to resent the fact that he was tied down. Yugi bit his lip and looked at the nearest wall, staring at the dull grey concrete as he thought. It wasn't fair to her and it wasn't fair to him, so he had to get himself out of it.

With that thought in mind, Yugi stood up from the wheelchair, wandering over to the Pharaoh and standing behind him, smirking. His smirk widened as the Pharaoh turned around to look at him, relishing the look of surprise on the Time Lord's face; it was rare to get a reaction out of the Pharaoh, and Yugi was the only one that could do it. That made him feel special. He held out a hand, watching the Pharaoh stare at the hand before looking up at Yugi. The young man smiled. "Prove it then."

"Yugi," the Pharaoh sighed, glancing between the wall and him, "I have better things to do that to prove my abilities. Like getting us out for one."

"Duke can get us out. I trust him."

"I don't."

"Well, trust him on this." The Pharaoh paused, his thumb slipping off the sonic screwdriver before turning around to stare. Yugi wiggled his fingers, playfully inviting the Pharaoh to dance. "Come on. You told me that you could."

"Maybe I don't want to." Yugi shook his head at the Pharaoh's response, taking a step forward.

"Then that makes you a coward."

"Being a coward doesn't bother me."

"It might in this situation."

The Pharaoh raised an eyebrow, leaning back to rest against the wall. "How so?"

Yugi smiled, giving an almost half hearted shrug. "Well, Duke is an amazing dancer."

"He is?" There was a spark of jealously in the Pharaoh's blue eyes. And Yugi knew that he had gotten him. He stepped back as the Time Lord stepped down from the table that he had been standing on, walking up to Yugi. The Pharaoh hesitated a moment before reaching out to take Yugi's hands, holding them gently before getting a better grip on them. "I highly doubt that."

"Keep telling yourself that." Yugi went to take a step closer, stopping when the Pharaoh took a step back, staring at the palms of Yugi's hands. "What?"

He had to repress a shiver as the Pharaoh ran a finger down the center of one palm, right along where the skin had been repaired by the nanogenes. Yugi glanced down at his hand then up at the Time Lord, surprised to see a scowl on the Pharaoh's face. "That's new. Where did you get them?"

"He fell from a barrage balloon." Yugi turned his head quickly to look at Duke as the American spoke, eyes widening as the man smiled at him. "You couldn't have expected me to leave such a priceless treasure marred."

Duke tapped his fingers against his chair before letting out a laugh. "You know, most people realize that they are being teleported. That must have been one conversation that you were having."

"What do you mean 'fell from a barrage balloon?" Yugi wiggled out of the Pharaoh's grasp, going to sit on the bunk closest to him, looking around the now familiar ship. He was partially embarrassed by not noticing that Duke had saved them, too wrapped up on being so close to the Pharaoh. The Time Lord allowed few into his personal space.

"Just what I said." Duke leaned forward. "I spotted him hanging from a barrage balloon in the middle of the air raid and I went to save him, better than you managed."

"Yugi!" He flinched at the growl that the Pharaoh gave him, looking away and playing with his fingers in his lap. "What I have I told you about wandering off?"

"I…But…I found Duke. I found the answers."

"Yugi…"

He stood up, glaring at the Pharaoh. "Don't 'Yugi'…me, Pharaoh! I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself!"

"Obviously." The Pharaoh snorted and turned away from Yugi, the young man slumping. He had lost that argument badly. And now the Pharaoh wouldn't let him out of his sight for a long while, which was annoying to say the least. He was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. Yugi huffed and crossed his arms, glaring at Duke and the Pharaoh, although the latter didn't seem to notice, he was too busy looking around the ship.

The Time Lord tapped his fingers against the side, ignoring Duke's slight shifting in the chair, the American obviously not happy with how the Pharaoh was handling his ship. After looking around for a minute, the Time Lord leaned back against the side of the ship, a smirk on his face. "This is a Chula ship."

"So?"

"That means it's equipped with nanogenes."

"Yes. And?" The Pharaoh just continued to smirk, tipping his head back before looking over at Duke. The American was fiddling with things again, probably to distract himself from the Pharaoh. Yugi himself was looking at the Time Lord, waiting to see what the Pharaoh would come up that he had missed in the first place.

"Can you take us to the crash site?"

"Yeah, once I get the Nav-com back online. I had to take it off to get the two of you on board. Shouldn't take a minute." Duke went to work, his shoulders tensed, the only sign that he was aware of the Pharaoh's gaze on him.

The Time Lord shook his head, turning his gaze to the opposite wall, seeming to be thinking out loud; but Yugi knew better. "What would a Time Agent be doing with a Chula spaceship? Better yet, what would a Time Agent be doing conning his own side?"

Duke paused in his work, shooting a look over his shoulder before shaking his head. "You don't trust me?"

"You may have seduced Yugi into trusting you," Yugi blushed at the statement, "but not me."

"He didn't-"

"You're right not to trust me." Duke interrupted Yugi, sitting up and spinning his chair around to face them. Hurt flashed across his green eyes before he moved his hand to push his bangs out of the way, the emotion gone from his eyes in the next moment. "I left the Time Agency after waking up one morning and finding that they had taken away two years of my memories. All of them just…gone."

Yugi looked over at the Pharaoh, wanting to see if the Time Lord had relaxed a bit with that information. Instead, the Pharaoh just pointed his sonic screwdriver at the console of the ship, a few sparks flying up before he glared at Duke. "Nav-com is back online. Get us to that crash site."

Duke turned back to the controls, looking over the console before giving them a cheeky smile over his shoulder. "Hold on tight."

Before Yugi could get a steady hold on something, he was thrown backwards, knocking his head against the bunk behind him. He felt something brush against him, cautiously opening one eye to find the Pharaoh nearly leaning against him, his hands braced on the wall. Yugi swallowed harshly and looked up, meeting the Pharaoh's eyes. For a moment, they just stared at each other, unable to look away. Yugi had a momentary thought that this was a bit too much like those romantic movies that Miho made him go and see before the ship rocked again, pushing them closer together.

Yugi froze, hearing and feeling the Pharaoh suck in a breath, trying to keep them from touching too much while not moving. Yugi found his mouth suddenly dry, wondering what this meant. He didn't have the chance to find out as the Pharaoh pushed away from the wall, walking up to stand behind Duke's chair. "Where did you learn to drive?"

"Hey, don't complain. I'm getting you there. I could make you walk." The Pharaoh scoffed before leaning forward to look out of the windshield.

Yugi slumped against the bunk beds, placing a hand over his racing heart. If he decided that they were good friends, why did his heart race every time the Pharaoh looked at him? He _knew_ what it meant, but he didn't want to consider the actual facts, because it would never happen.

He lowered his hand, scrambling for a hold the next moment as Duke changed direction again, Yugi feeling his stomach drop as the former Time Agent began to land the ship. He looked over, watching as the landscape outside of the windshield wavered, Duke probably activating the cloaking device. He pushed away, having to nearly flatten himself against the wall as the Pharaoh stormed past, looking at Duke for a moment before following the Pharaoh out of the ship.

Yugi shivered in the cold air, rubbing his arms. He wouldn't be able to be out in the cold for much longer. He cursed himself for not bringing a jacket before he focused on the sentry post that was outside the enclosure. He scanned the barbed wire that surrounded the Chula ambulance, tipping his head to one side as he stared at the space.

There was no way in that he could see, especially with all the lights on and people patrolling the perimeter. The only way in was through the entrance, something that they probably wouldn't allow. Yugi sighed and followed the Pharaoh and Duke closer to the enclosure, waiting to hear what plan the two had come up with. Instead, he found himself pulled behind a bunch of crates. He was about to protest the treatment when Duke peered over the top of the crates, a smile crossing his face. "Hey, Algy is on duty."

Yugi peeked around the crate, raising an eyebrow at the officer that was walking up to the sentry box, stopping to confer with the man there. He felt the Pharaoh push him down, shooting a glare back towards the Time Lord before readjusting himself so he wouldn't be seen, hard with his chosen hairstyle. Still, he wanted to see what was going on, wanted to be an active part in this. But there was nothing that he could come up with, one thought circling around his head. "If only we had something to distract him with."

"Of all the times to actually need that empty-headed girl of yours." Yugi shot a glare at the Pharaoh, the Time Lord seeming to realize that he had crossed a line with his comment. The Pharaoh glanced to one side before sighing, that as much of an apology as Yugi would get out of him. The young man turned his attention back to the officer, sighing.

"While I don't agree about the empty-headed part, Miho would be helpful here."

"Your girlfriend couldn't help us."

Yugi glared at Duke, wondering why they both insisted on insulting one of his friends, if not his girlfriend. He was still debating that in his head, reluctant to give up that security blanket, but he had given up almost everything else. How hard would this be? "Miho could distract-"

"Sorry." Duke stood up and dusted off his pants before stepping out from behind the crates, unbuttoning the top button on his shirt. Yugi stared at him, blinking as Duke threw him a wink. "Algy doesn't swing that way, Yugi. Give me a moment."

He stared after Duke, his mouth falling open in shock. When he had mentioned a distraction, he had never expected _that_. He heard the Pharaoh chuckle at his side, turning to look at the Time Lord as the Pharaoh shook his head, standing up. The Pharaoh looked down at Yugi before leaning against the crates. "What did you expect? He's from the fifty-first century."

"He's what?"

The Pharaoh looked at him for a while before chuckling and shaking his head. "You thought that he was from this century?"

"No!" Yugi gulped and lowered his voice to a whisper, glaring at the Pharaoh. "But, unlike you, I can't identify what century people are from. Now, what does him being from the future have to do with anything?"

"They're a bit more accepting in the future." Yugi stared at him for a while before his eyes widened, turning to look back to where Duke and the officer that he called Algy were talking, blushing at the implications of that. No wonder Duke was so free with his flirting.

"Whoa!" Yugi jumped at Duke's shout, stumbling to one side as the Pharaoh rushed past him, catching himself on the crates before rushing for the sentry box. He cursed his short legs, arriving after the Pharaoh had looked over the body, forced to a stop far away from the body of the officer. Yugi got a glimpse of a gas mask, shuddering at the implications.

"It's spreading." Yugi looked up at the Pharaoh, noticing that the Pharaoh was glaring at where the cylinder rested, covered up with the tarp. "It's become airborne and-" The Pharaoh stiffened, looking in the direction of a small shack that was set up close to the covered ambulance. "Is that singing?"

Yugi frowned, straining to hear something. He sighed as Duke nodded, taking off after the Pharaoh as the two ran for the shack. He gave one final look at the body of the officer before walking after them. Part of him, a part that Yugi didn't even want to acknowledge, was glad that the Pharaoh hated Duke so much because he felt like he was being replaced. But even that was easily shaken off. The Pharaoh had asked him twice to join him, Yugi doubted that anyone else had ever gotten that second chance.

He walked into the shack a few steps behind the Pharaoh and Duke, shuffling around them to stare at the young woman that was handcuffed to the table. Her singing wavered for a moment before she glanced back at the man that was resting at the table, her voice gaining strength a moment later. The young woman gave the handcuffs a yank before jerking her head at the soldier, the message clear.

The Pharaoh drew the sonic screwdriver out of his pocket and pointed it at the handcuffs, quickly freeing the young woman from the table and offering her a hand to draw her out of the shack, Yugi and Duke following him at a run. The three backed away, the Pharaoh glancing at the shack before looking back at the young woman. "Nancy?"

"I thought about what you said." She glanced over at the tarp that covered the Chula ambulance before walking over to it, Duke rushing ahead to whip off the tarp. Duke beamed at the Pharaoh as the Time Lord walked over, Yugi staying close to Nancy.

"See, I told you that it wasn't tampered with."

"Fine. But you're not off the hook." Duke shrugged and leaned over the ship, easily finding the keypad and beginning to input the code, the Pharaoh hovering behind him as he worked. All four of them flinched as the air raid siren sounded again, Duke glancing back at the sky before speeding up his typing, pulling back with a triumphant yell as there was a soft chime.

The chime was drowned out by a long alarm tone, the second sound almost lost in the din that was the air raid siren, Duke stumbling back from the ambulance. The Pharaoh let out a curse, glancing at the cylinder before looking back at the hospital that was behind them. The Time Lord glanced up at Yugi and dug in his pocket for the sonic screwdriver, tossing it at Yugi. The young man caught the object awkwardly, fumbling with it as the Pharaoh spoke to him. "Seal up where Nancy came in, we need time."

Yugi nodded and took off at a jog, looking to one side as Nancy ran up beside him. She directed him to the gap in the wire with a wave of her hand, Yugi stumbling as they reached their destination, blushing at his fumble before concentrating on the wire before him. He stared at the screwdriver that he held in his hand, flinching as he realized that he didn't know what he was doing before shrugging it off. The Pharaoh would have preset the screwdriver.

Nancy was already carefully holding two of the wires close together, Yugi pointing the sonic screwdriver at them, watching as the wire was slowly built up from the ends. He glanced over at Nancy, leaning back when the first set of wires was done, watching as she looked up at the sky, the faint drone of planes getting louder. He gently nudged her, watching her blush before focusing back on the wires. "I just wish that this was over."

"Don't worry, it will be."

"And we'll be German?" She shook her head. "I don't want that."

Yugi glanced back at the Pharaoh, licking his lips before focusing back on the second set of wires. He could always tell her what happened, but he feared that he would end up changing history again. But, then again, it would give Nancy some hope. And maybe that would be enough for a few people to hold on.

Trying to appear nonchalant, Yugi shrugged. "The Germans might not win."

Nancy laughed and glanced up at the sky. "There is no way that they won't win. Just look at what they've done to us."

Yugi smiled, sitting back as Nancy reached for the last set of wires. He glanced at the Pharaoh before lowering his voice. "I'll tell you a secret, the Germans don't win; you guys do."

Nancy paused, looking at him with wide eyes. "We…we do?"

"Yeah. You win and move on. I've seen pictures of London from the future, where I'm from and the city is rebuilt. And it's pretty amazing."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Yugi nodded, watching as the young woman looked up at the sky before looking back down at him. Nancy smiled at the clouds that covered the stars before looking back at the barbed wire, obviously not seeing the wire. Yugi smiled, going back to work.

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_Please read and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome._


	34. Captain, My Captain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Author's Note:** Now over halfway through this epic, I'd like to draw my reader's attention back to a few things that I talked about in my original author's note, like the fact that I am following the series of events as they appear in the actual episodes of the newer seasons of the show Doctor Who very closely. I also restate my sincere wishes that, if the reader desires, they will watch the actual show as the writing there is wonderful as well.

**Author's Note:** Now over halfway through this epic, I'd like to draw my reader's attention back to a few things that I talked about in my original author's note, like the fact that I am following the series of events as they appear in the actual episodes of the newer seasons of the show Doctor Who very closely. I also restate my sincere wishes that, if the reader desires, they will watch the actual show as the writing there is wonderful as well.

****

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Three: Captain, My Captain**

"_And everybody lives, Rose! Everybody lives! I need more days like this."_

_-The Doctor_

The Pharaoh stood back as Duke threw open the door to the ship, the Time Agent motioning at the empty interior of the ship before taking a step away from the Chula ambulance. The Pharaoh sent him a glare before walking up to the ship and looking inside it. He sighed, hearing the sound echo around the interior before turning around, leaning on the cylinder and staring at Duke. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Yugi and Nancy returning, waiting until they were closer to speak. "What did you expect to be in here?"

Duke sputtered for a moment, looking around before shrugging. The Pharaoh laughed before glancing at Yugi, watching his companion slow his walk at the look. "Yugi?"

"What?" Yugi glanced at the transport before shrugging. "I don't know. I'm not good at this space stuff."

The Pharaoh rolled his eyes, wanting to break Yugi of his self deprecating habit. It just got in the way of the young man. He turned to lean on the ambulance a different way, freeing up one arm to hold out his hand. "Come on Yugi, think."

Yugi stared at his hand before jumping backwards with an excited exclamation. "Nanogenes!"

He smiled and turned back to Duke, watching the Time Agent look between Yugi and the empty ambulance, a look of horror crossing his face as he realized what had gone on. The Pharaoh pushed away from the ambulance, glaring at the Time Agent. "Your 'empty' space junk crashed and all the nanogenes escaped and the first thing they found was a dead child; that's why he could communicate through Om-Com. They didn't know better, so they took his pattern and now they're out to fix the rest of the world."

"I didn't know!"

"Mummy?" All four of them turned around, the Pharaoh watching as faint shapes began appearing through the night. The Time Lord spun in place, looking around as the people began shuffling up to the barbed wire. It was only a matter of time before they came through the entrance of the enclosure.

"Pharaoh, what's going on?"

"It's the ship. The alarm notified them that it was under attack." The Pharaoh backed away from the ship, looking at Yugi as he moved away. "They're coming to defend the ship from attack."

He turned at the sound of a bomb going off, the light from it briefly lighting Yugi up from behind. _'Big brother!'_

The Pharaoh shook his head, reaching out to pull Yugi closer, part of him trying to protect the young man from the bombs that were getting closer. He looked back at Duke as the Time Agent flipped the device on his wrist open, staring at it before looking up at him. "That bomb will land here in a few minutes."

"Then do what you have to." They stared at each other for a long time, Duke finally giving a small nod before placing his hand over the device. The Pharaoh gave him one last glare for good measure, hoping that his threat would carry through. But he hoped that Duke's attraction to Yugi would keep him from reverting to the behavior that was expected from the con-man.

Duke disappeared in a flare of blue light, teleporting back to where his ship was. The Pharaoh reached out to stop Yugi from rushing to where Duke had been, catching him by the collar of his shirt before pulling him back. Yugi turned to glare at him, fighting the hold. "Duke just left us!"

"He's going to do something."

"But you don't trust him!"

"I do-"

"This is all my fault." Yugi and the Pharaoh both looked up at Nancy, the Time Lord letting go of his companion in his distraction.

The young woman had wrapped her arms around herself, shivering as she looked around at all the people who were slowly advancing towards them. The Pharaoh looked at her for a moment before hesitantly resting a hand on her shoulder. "How can this be your fault?"

"I should have been there for him. I should have watched him better."

"You can't be there all the time."

"I was the only one, _ever_."

"But you can't-"

"It was going to be us against the rest of the world, just the two of us." Nancy interrupted the Pharaoh, shaking her head. "I was so naïve to believe this."

"That child you're talking about…he was yours wasn't he?" The Pharaoh spun around to look at Yugi, his companion looking up at him and shrugging. "My mother used to say that to me; that it was us against the world so we had to stick together."

The Pharaoh stared at Yugi for a long time, his companion rolling his eyes and walking over to Nancy. "Was he yours?"

Nancy nodded slowly. "We were going to get married as soon as he came back from the war, but he isn't coming back, ever."

"But you had the child."

"Jamie." Nancy rocked back and forth until Yugi caught her pulling her into a hug. The Pharaoh watched as Nancy sobbed into Yugi's shoulder, suddenly aware of how he wouldn't have been able to handle this. He would have been rough with her the entire time, because he couldn't let himself feel. He twitched slightly at the realization of his own flaw, focusing on Yugi and Nancy instead of thinking more on it.

"Yeah, Jamie." Yugi smiled and pulled away from her slightly, tipping his head to the side. "Why didn't you tell him?"

"It was easier, at the time. I…I still missed his father and I didn't want him to grow up after the war…thinking that I had…just because…"

"You were trying to save him. I understand." Yugi turned to look at the approaching people before beginning to walk towards them, the Pharaoh reaching out to stop them until he recognized the small figure pushing through the crowd. As Jamie appeared at the front, the Time Lord watched Nancy tense, trying to pull away from Yugi, but the young man held strong. "You have to tell him now. Answer that question, or he'll go on asking it forever."

"But-"

"It might save him." The Pharaoh finally spoke up, striding over to where Nancy and Yugi were standing. "The nanogenes could recognize the parent DNA and fix him. Nancy, you could save all of them."

The young woman tightened her grip on Yugi for a minute before nodding, letting him go and turning to walk forward. From his place in front of the ranks, Jamie began to walk out to meet Nancy. Watching the scene, Yugi and the Pharaoh drifted close to each other, Yugi shaking his head. "Is that possible, or did you make that up?"

"It's very possible." The Pharaoh narrowed his eyes as the two met in the middle, Nancy looking down at the little boy in the gas mask. He found himself holding his breath and forced himself to release it, hating the reaction. Everything would work out for the best, the plan that he had cobbled together would work.

"Mummy?"

"Yes, Jamie, I am your mummy."

The child tilted his head to the side, not seeming to understand. He took a step forward, Nancy swaying in place before finally kneeling on the ground. "Are you my mummy?"

"Yes. I am, and always will be your mummy." The Pharaoh reached out to restrain Yugi as Nancy threw her arms around the boy, drawing him into a hug. Almost instantly a cloud of golden motes appeared around them. The Pharaoh felt Yugi slump, releasing him as he stared at the gathering of nanogenes. He wished that they would give some sign that they were working, something that would tell him that he hadn't risked another life for this.

Before he could stop him, Yugi raced forward, reaching Nancy and Jamie as soon as the glow of the nanogenes was gone, nearly ripping the gas mask from the child's face. The mask came away in his hand, leaving Jamie to blink up at Yugi in confusion, completely fixed. Yugi smiled down at the boy before letting out a cheer, throwing the gas mask into the air. "It worked!"

Jamie was immediately swept up into Nancy's arms, the child laughing and clinging to his mother as Yugi nearly pranced around them. The Pharaoh chuckled to himself as he approached this scene, glancing down at the faint tingle that ran over his skin.

The golden cloud was hovering around his hands, the nanogenes waiting for their command. The Pharaoh looked around at the people who were still in the converted state before glancing back at his hands. He smirked, raising his hands and wiggling his fingers a bit, happy when the nanogenes responded. It was almost too simple, like the universe was actually handing him a break. But he wasn't going to argue when it happened.

For once, he wanted to save more lives than he took.

With almost a careless motion, the Pharaoh sent the newly programmed nanogenes towards the rest of the infected people, watching as the golden cloud grew larger, sailing over Nancy, Yugi and Jamie to crash like a wave over the people, most of them falling to the ground with the sudden shock of having their DNA rewritten. The Pharaoh smiled, absently brushing off a few of the nanogenes that still clung to him, ambling over to where the people were just beginning to rise, holding out a hand to help Dr. Constantine up.

The elderly man blinked at him for a while before looking around in shock. The Pharaoh found that he couldn't wipe the smile off his face, settling for taking a step back instead. "Apparently Nancy did have all the answers."

Constantine looked over to where Nancy was watching as Jamie and Yugi talked excitedly, shaking his head. "How-"

"Take all the credit for it." The Pharaoh waved his hand in a dismissive gesture, turning to walk back to his companion. "That's the only way things get done on this backwards planet anyway."

"Thank you."

The Pharaoh raised an eyebrow but didn't respond, walking back to where the Chula ambulance sat. He glanced at Yugi, ducking as his companion lobbed the sonic screwdriver back at him. The Time Lord still caught the instrument, but he sent a glare at Yugi before beginning to fiddle with the controls of the ship.

"What are you up to now?"

He barely glanced over at Yugi, kicking the door to the Chula ambulance as it lagged a bit in closing before continuing with his adjustments. "Tell everyone to get clear. The explosion is still happening."

"The bomb!"

"Taken care of. But I can't just leave this here to be messed with again." The Pharaoh made the final adjustment, jumping back to the ground. As soon as he landed, the drone of an airplane overhead made him look up, his eyes widening as he saw the bomb begin to fall towards them. So Duke had just cut out and run.

He took a step closer to Yugi, not knowing how that would help with their predicament. His companion would still die in the explosion and he would just have to go on. It was not in him to just give up like that, but it would be an empty life without Yugi.

Yugi jumped into his side as the bomb suddenly stopped its fall, a blue beam of light surrounding it. The Pharaoh glanced down at his companion before looking back up at the Chula ship that was holding the bomb from falling, Duke appearing astride the bomb a moment later. "Got you."

"Not funny."

"I guess not." The Time Agent laughed, shifting so he could sit more comfortably on the bomb, the Pharaoh getting a glimpse of a word written on the side. Dunkles Spiel. He had barely translated the word when Duke obscured it again, leaning forward. "I'll keep this thing in stasis, but I don't know how long that will last."

The two of them stared at each other for a moment before exchanging nods in mutual understanding. Duke was trustworthy, at least in the Pharaoh's mind. The Time Agent was a soldier who would fight for what he loved before a cause, and he and Yugi were lucky enough to be counted as friends. "Good luck then."

Duke gave him a lazy salute before turning to Yugi, a fake smile plastered on his face. "Good-bye Yugi."

"What?" Duke disappeared before he could answer the question, the Pharaoh grabbing Yugi's arm and beginning to drag him away, the other people clearing fast. The appearance of a ship in the sky able to stop a bomb had spooked them. It worked well enough to get them out of the area for when the ambulance exploded; which would be soon.

The Pharaoh broke into a run, catching a glimpse of Nancy and Jamie disappearing as they went back into their world, watching them for a moment more before going back to hurrying Yugi along. The young man finally wiggled out of the Pharaoh's grasp, running on his own as the cleared the enclosure and set off at a sprint towards town, only slowing when they heard the explosion of the ambulance.

The Time Lord paused to watch the bright flare of light, feeling the annoying smile return to his face. He shrugged to himself before turning around, walking back towards the TARDIS with a little more life in his step. When he didn't see Yugi at his customary place by his side, the Pharaoh turned around, motioning for Yugi to catch up. "Come on."

"But…" Yugi bit his lip and looked down, the Pharaoh unable to comprehend the sudden change in mood from his companion.

"Yugi, just this once, everyone lived. Take pride in that."

"What about Duke?" That one question stopped the Pharaoh in his tracks, staring at Yugi as his companion glanced at the sky and then looked back at him.

In that moment, he knew that he had lost Yugi to the Time Agent. And there was only one thing to do.

* * *

Duke settled back in his seat, kicking his feet up onto the dashboard with a sad smile on his face. Behind him, the bomb ticked away, waiting to detonate, something that he wouldn't survive. The Time Agent sighed, reaching for the flute of champagne that waited for him as he watched the stars pass. The ship made a buzzing noise, Duke glancing at the display before shaking his head. "No, the last time I was in a certain death situation, you put too much vermouth in my drink. Not happening."

He glared at the ship, sighing before reaching forward and switching the computer on. "Computer, how long until that thing explodes."

"Three minutes." A soft female voice came out of the dashboard, Duke slumping back in his seat.

"Is there an escape pod?"

"Moving the bomb would cause it to explode."

"I meant for me!"

"No escape pods."

Duke rolled his eyes, glaring at the champagne before downing the rest on one gulp, glaring at the computer. "Did you guys ever hear of the Titanic? Alright, chance of survival."

"Complete annihilation of Captain Duke Devlin, one hundred percent chance."

"I feel loved." He slouched in his seat, rubbing his forehead. After a moment of this, he reached forward to pat the console. "You've been a good ship. Wish I could keep you. Hell, I wish I could keep me."

Duke reached up to turn the computer off, pausing in that motion as he heard familiar music drifting through the cabin of the ship. He tensed, looking over his shoulder in the direction the music was coming from, one name coming to mind. "Yugi?"

Quickly, he stood up, ducking around the bomb and rushing towards the back of his ship, his mouth falling open as he saw the blue box that sat calmly in a corner. Duke glanced over his shoulder at the bomb before opening the door, his eyes widening as he beheld the colossal proportions of the interior of the box. He looked over the columns before his gaze dropped to the two standing at the central console, ignoring him for the most part.

"Alright, you'll find your feet at the end of your legs…if you even realize that your legs stop." Yugi laughed, ignoring the Pharaoh's glare. "Honestly, how do tall people survive? They must always be tripping over things."

"You told me that you were going to teach me how to dance, not stand around and insult me."

"But I already assumed you knew how to dance." Yugi blinked up at him, laughing as the Pharaoh rolled his eyes. Duke watched the exchange in confusion, not aware that he made a sound. Yugi glanced over at him, smiling before giving a small wave. "Hey Duke, we're just talking about dancing."

"It doesn't look like talking."

"Don't worry, it doesn't feel like dancing."

"And I have better things to do." The Pharaoh stepped away from Yugi, Duke catching the disappointed look in Yugi's eyes as the Time Lord went back to the console of his ship. The Time Agent jumped as a glare was sent his way. "Shut the door behind you, your ship is about to explode. If there is one scratch on the TARDIS because of this, you are going to be fixing it personally!"

Duke hurriedly dashed back to close the door, suddenly thrown against it as the Pharaoh put the TARDIS into motion. He looked up from his place leaning against the door, watching as Yugi happily rocked in place, apparently very used to the motion of the ship.

"If you want to dance so much, we've got pretty boy over there." The Pharaoh waved a hand at Duke, Yugi glancing at him from the corner of his eye before sighing. The Time Agent straightened up, walking up the ramp and giving a courtly bow to Yugi before pulling the shorter teenager into a waltz. Yugi glanced down at their feet before pouting, allowing Duke to guide him through the motions.

"Why am I the girl?"

"Because you don't know this dance."

"That's no reason!" Duke laughed at the pout that Yugi kept up before the young man broke into laughter too, offering no protest as Duke continued to waltz him around the console. Duke looked out of the corner of his eye at the Pharaoh moved to accommodate them, finally leaving the console room after a while. And, without fail, Yugi's eyes followed the Time Lord whenever he moved. Duke sighed, dipping Yugi before pulling him back into the waltz, trying to distract him.

It was obvious that the Pharaoh had no interest in Yugi. Or did he?

The Time Agent glanced at the door out of the console room, surprised to see that the Pharaoh was still standing there, despite having left earlier, watching every movement that Yugi made. It was horribly obvious that there was something between them, or something that they both wanted to happen. But they seemed to be mutually ignoring the signs of attraction, probably for their own reasons. Duke shook his head, turning his attention back to Yugi. He would do his best to keep Yugi happy, even if the Pharaoh remained pig-headed about his intentions toward the young man.

* * *

The console room was almost completely dark when he walked back into it, sighing and tossing his long white coat over the chair. He had tried to sleep, a dumb idea in the first place since he wasn't exhausted. The nightmares were held at bay only with exhaustion. So, thoroughly shaken from the memories of the Time War, the Pharaoh had returned to see what work needed to be done on the TARDIS as the time machine was in a constant state of repair. He looked up as the TARDIS gave a low hum, leaning a bit on the console as he looked around.

"I know you're here, stop hiding."

"Who said I was hiding?" Duke walked out of the shadows, choosing to lean against the railing. "I was just waiting for you. It's more comfortable to sit in the little dips anyway."

"Sure." The Pharaoh rooted around for his sonic screwdriver, quickly finding it before opening a section of grating, listening to the TARDIS as she led him to a certain part that was malfunctioning. He heard Duke walk closer to him, glancing back to see that the Time Agent was squatting near the hole that he had made, tipping his head to the side. The Pharaoh withheld a growl, forcing himself to focus on the light in front of him. "Shouldn't you be off seducing someone?"

"Considering that you are obviously out of bounds, as is Yugi, nope."

"What do you mean by that?" The Pharaoh forced the words out of his mouth, hating them. "Yugi can make up his mind about that kind of thing."

"Yes, he can. But _you_ have obviously put him off limits to me."

"How?"

"I saw you watching him."

The Pharaoh froze, resisting the urge to look back a Duke. He considering the sentence in his head before shrugging, continuing on with his work. "That means nothing. I'm just in charge of his safety."

"But he can obviously take care of himself."

"I promised his mother."

"His mother?"

The Pharaoh turned around to look at Duke. "If you ever meet his mother, you'll see why."

"Ah, one of those." Duke shuddered before finally sitting on the grating, his legs dangling into the hole that the Pharaoh was working in. "Still…"

"Still what?"

The Time Agent was looking at him; the Pharaoh could feel the gaze on his back. He forced himself not to hunch over, repeating the mental command to just ignore the man. Eventually Duke would get bored and wander away; probably to…The Pharaoh gritted his teeth, beginning to mess with a tangle of wires. He couldn't even bring himself to think that.

"Fine." He relaxed a bit as he heard Duke stand up, listening to the man walk away and tensing again as Duke stopped short of the door that lead deeper into the TARDIS. "But I won't make any moves on him. I do have standards. I may joke, but that's the limit."

"Yugi belongs to no one but himself."

"That may be. But, watch him. I think he also wants to belong to you." The sound of Duke leaving covered the sound of the Pharaoh dropping the sonic screwdriver, the tool falling from his numb fingers as he stared at the tangle of wires. The way that Duke said it made it all seem so simple, but the idea itself scared him. It was already nerve wracking enough to be in charge of Yugi's well being, especially knowing what he had done to his own planet. He hadn't even been able to take care of them.

But the idea of Yugi being someone else's made him shudder, because he understood that they would only see the fragility that Yugi could put out. They would smother him.

Yugi was better off without him, but he couldn't bring himself to let him go.

The Pharaoh fell to his knees, one hand reaching out for the TARDIS to have something to steady himself against. He was trapped. He would kill Yugi eventually, he knew that. No one could survive his life for long, but Yugi seem determined to remain here, and that would kill him. But the Pharaoh would rather have the young man killed than to see him leave.

It had all gone far out of his control.

Without any real thought, he picked up the sonic screwdriver and went back to work, his mind peacefully numb. But he knew without a shadow of a doubt that Yugi's dying screams would come to haunt him in his nightmares, even if his companion was still alive.

__

* * *

_Please read and review. Constructive criticism is welcome._


	35. Boom Town

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter Thirty-Four: Boom Town**

**Chapter Thirty-Four: Boom Town**

"_Only a killer would know that. Is that right? From what I've seen, your funny little happy-go-lucky life leaves devastation in its wake. Always moving on because you dare not look back. Playing with so many people's lives, you might as well be a god."_

_-Margret Blaine_

Yugi looked up at the giant water feature, watching water stream down its surface, reflected in the mirrors that were placed on the column. He sighed, leaning back against the railing that surrounded the area. They were back in Cardiff, back where Sneed's house had been before. But now it was the Roald Dahl Plass, the area changed completely with the coming of the modern age. The young man closed his eyes before leaning backwards, feeling the warm bricks under his hands.

"Enjoying yourself?" He opened his eyes at the familiar voice, smiling as he saw that the Pharaoh was standing behind him. Yugi reluctantly stood up, hating that he was having to leave his sunbathing spot. He stretched, suddenly aware that the Pharaoh was watching his every moment. He frowned at that.

The Pharaoh had been like that since they had picked up Duke, always hovering in sight and always seeming to be thinking something over. Apparently, something important because he wouldn't discuss it with Yugi, but he would talk about it with Duke. Or Yugi thought that he talked about it with Duke. The Time Lord seemed to have warmed up to the Time Agent rather quickly, which was odd.

Yugi shrugged the feeling off before nodding, squinting in the sun and looking around. "Do we have to go save some poor damsel in distress from Duke?"

"No, I got him first." Yugi raised an eyebrow at the implied courtesy. He hadn't wandered far from the TARDIS when they had stopped here to refuel, parking on the Rift so the energy that leaked through could be absorbed by the TARDIS, just far enough to find a place to sit and people watch. It was something that he had discovered that he liked to do, and he wished he had more time for. But the Pharaoh had the tendency to insult people, which led to them running for their lives.

"Where are we off to now?"

"Japan, so you can appease your mother before going back out."

Yugi rolled his eyes, hopping down from the raised area that he was sitting on and beginning to walk back to the blue box. "She's not that bad."

"You are biased, she raised you."

"So?"

The Pharaoh looked at him for a while before shaking his head. "Humans."

"Densest creatures around." Yugi smiled before raising a hand to rap his knuckles on his skull. "That's how we have survived all these years, a thick skull."

The Pharaoh knocked into him before walking onward, Yugi shaking his head before breaking into a jog to follow the Time Lord, the two of them walking into the TARDIS. From his place on the other side of the console, Duke gave a lazy wave before returning to his reclining. "I was so close to get her to ask me out."

"I said we were leaving when the TARDIS was done."

"You deliberately told me the wrong time."

"You have no proof of that." Yugi caught the edge of a smile on the Pharaoh's face as he said that, the young man shaking his head before jumping up into his normal perch in the fork of one of the columns, watching as the Pharaoh moved around the TARDIS console; completely ignoring Duke. And this was the normal way of things, the easy pattern that they had settled into. Not that Yugi was complaining.

"I'd expect a Time Lord to know how much _time_ it would take his ship to refuel."

"The TARDIS is a law unto her own." The Pharaoh gave the console a light pat before beginning to input the coordinates, Yugi wedging himself into the fork of the column to prepare for the rocky ride. He smiled as Duke subtly leaned further back, still looking unsatisfied with the Pharaoh's answer, but the Time Agent knew better than to argue.

The young man was jolted forward as the TARDIS rocked into flight, watching the Pharaoh calmly make his way around the circular console, roughly pushing Duke's legs out of the way to walk around the console. The Time Agent glared at the Pharaoh's back, quickly arranging his face back into an expression of nonchalance by the time that the Pharaoh had looked back at him. Yugi shook his head, leaning back against one part of the column and closing his eyes. To him, this was the perfect life.

A sudden jolt threw him out of his perch, Yugi yelping before pushing off the grating to glare at the Pharaoh, the Time Lord seeming to be unrepentant. He pushed himself off the ground, shooting one last glare at the Time Lord before walking towards the doors, pausing with his hand on the wood. "You've got the place right?"

"I don't get places wrong." Sparks flew from the TARDIS as the time machine caught on to the insinuation, the Pharaoh stepping out of the way. "And it isn't the TARDIS' fault either."

"Right." Yugi rolled his eyes before opening the doors and stepping outside.

It was Japan, he knew that and he recognized the city. But it wasn't Domino City, wasn't even close. Yugi rubbed the back of his neck, glancing around at the area where he was before recognizing it. It was the city next to Domino, and there was something important here, but he just couldn't remember it.

He scowled, not liking the feeling that something was hovering just out of his reach. He brushed it off with a shrug before leaning back inside the TARDIS. "You're off again, Pharaoh, but its close enough. I'll just call my mother from here."

Yugi smiled as he saw the Pharaoh visibly relax, laughing as he walked away from the blue box to lean against the nearest building, digging his cell phone out of his pocket. Hopefully his mother wouldn't want to talk long. They had been grounded in Cardiff for five hours, more than enough for Yugi to start itching to travel again. He shook his head and flipped open his phone, getting ready to dial his mother when a stray newspaper caught his eye, Yugi snatching it up and scanning the headlines.

"New mayor's changes bring prosperity." Yugi muttered the headline aloud while looking at the picture below the headline, his eyes widening as the recognized the woman that was there. He muttered a curse before turning and sprinting back to the TARDIS. He tucked the paper under his arm, pulling the key to the time machine from underneath his shirt and fumbling to unlock the blue box. He let out a sigh as he finally got the door open, shoving it open roughly.

The Pharaoh looked up, apparently stopping a deep conversation with Duke. "Good, you're back. Now we can get going-"

"The Slitheen are here."

"What?" The Pharaoh moved around the console quickly, Yugi taking the paper from where he had tucked it under his arm and holding it open for the Time Lord to see. He watched as the Pharaoh's eyes widened, staring at the picture of the once human who now housed a Slitheen, glancing up as Yugi before turning back to the console. "Trip canceled, we figure this out now."

Yugi nodded, carefully putting the paper to one side as the TARDIS rocked into flight. Duke looked up from his seat in the chair, looking between Yugi and the Pharaoh. "Slitheen."

"Aliens who use the skins of humans to disguise themselves." Yugi flinched when he was rocked into a column, shaking his head and looking up at Duke to continue his explanation. "The last time we met them, they wanted to blow up the Earth and sell it."

"So, not good."

"No." The Pharaoh reached across the console to tweak a control before turning back toward the doors, walking towards them as the TARDIS gave the final jolt for landing. Yugi and Duke immediately settled in behind him, both of them waiting for their orders.

They stepped out into the street, Yugi glancing up at the town hall and having a fleeting thought about Ryou. He wondered how the man was doing and if he had actually become mayor of Domino, but he shoved the thought away, trying to keep up with the longer-legged Duke and the Pharaoh.

"Yugi," he perked up at the sound of his name, "you wait out here in case she tries to escape. Duke and I will try to get her in the building, but you have to catch her if she gets out."

He smiled, giving the Pharaoh a thumbs up as he and Duke walked into the city hall, settling down to wait.

* * *

"Seriously, this is our plan." The Pharaoh shot an annoyed look at Duke before focusing on the hallway that they were walking down.

"If we had more people, we could cover all the principle exits. But, with what resources we have, this is the best plan of action."

Duke blinked at him, shaking his head. "For a minute there, you sounded like a soldier."

"I am." The Pharaoh walked a little bit faster, wanting to loose Duke after such an admission, but the Time Agent remained silent. A move like that was something that the Pharaoh didn't expect, but then there was the fact that he had said am instead of was. Why did he still consider himself a soldier?

He decided to ignore those thoughts as he walked up to the mayor's office, surprised to find the door open. The Pharaoh scowled before motioning for Duke to follow him, the two of them sneaking in quietly. They turned towards the sound of voices coming from the next room, the Pharaoh motioning Duke to move closer to that door. The Time Agent gave a sharp nod before going to his position, the Pharaoh leaving Duke to carry out the command. His attention was focused on the table at the center of the room.

The Time Lord crept over to the table, glancing at the room where the voices were coming from before circling the table, his eyes widening as he stared at the device that was on it.

"Is that a tribophysical waveform macro-kinetic extrapolator?" The Pharaoh jumped at Duke's whisper, glaring at the Time Agent before giving a nod. He carefully brushed his hands over the device, tipping his head to one side as he examined it. There was no reason for it to be here, but that could be overlooked for the moment. The most important thing was to figure out _why_ it was here, what the one surviving Slitheen planned to use it for.

He was about to pick it up from the table when the door to the office slammed open, the Pharaoh getting a glimpse of blonde hair before his attention was attracted by the obese woman that was standing in the doorway. The Pharaoh saw her eyes widen in shock before the Slitheen darted to one side, rushing for the exit.

The Pharaoh gave a snarl before rushing after the Slitheen, turning to should back to Duke. "Get that thing back to the TARDIS!"

The Time Agent must have thrown his customary salute, but the Pharaoh was already out in the hall. He skidded around a corner, chasing after the fleeing mayor. He narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out how this one Slitheen could have survived the explosion that had taken the city hall of Domino. He was forced just to concentrate on running as the woman dodged through the back halls, the Pharaoh having to fling himself around the people that were there.

He bit back a curse as he knocked his shin against a low bench, suddenly realizing that he had no was of contacting Yugi to tell the young man that they had the Slitheen on the run. The Pharaoh rushed down the next corridor, spotting a bit of light before the door swung shut. He cursed aloud and ran for the door, throwing himself against it and stumbling out into the light.

The Pharaoh blinked quickly to adjust his eyes, turning his head to look in the direction of the sound of running feet. He spun on his heel and took off at a run, heading toward the sound. He raced around the corner of the building to see Yugi slowing to a stop. The young man glanced back at the Pharaoh before gesturing at the empty space in front of him. "Teleport."

The Time Lord smirked, digging the sonic screwdriver out of his pocket and adjusting the setting, walking forward before turning the sonic screwdriver on. "I'm good with teleports."

There was a flare of blue before the Slitheen disguised as a human reappeared by them. She stumbled to a halt, staring at them before turning around to run again. The Pharaoh exchanged a look with Yugi, both of them sighing before the Pharaoh repeated the procedure again, crossing his arms as the Slitheen came rushing back at them. "We could do this all day, but I feel that you have better things to do."

"Why are you doing this to me? What have I done?"

"You tried to blow up my planet and sell it." The Slitheen shot Yugi a dirty look before glancing back up at the Pharaoh.

"Besides that?"

"It's enough." The Pharaoh grabbed her arm and began walking, laughing when she tried to resist. "You had your chance to escape, but you failed. Don't challenge me."

The sharp tone of voice that he used with her worked, the Slitheen relenting and shuffling after them. The Pharaoh released her slowly, making sure to have the sonic screwdriver out still as a threat. Thankfully, the Slitheen didn't put up much of a fight, shuffling back towards the TARDIS.

It was Yugi who broke the awkward silence, glancing at the Slitheen before speaking. "Are we going to take her back to Raxa-" He paused, mouthing the word as he tried to figure it out.

"Raxacoricofallapatorius."

Yugi scowled at him. "I was going to get it."

"Really now?"

"Yeah." Yugi took up on his challenge, the Pharaoh smiling slightly with pride as he kept an eye on their prisoner. "Raxacorico-"

"-fallapatorius"

He was treated to another scowl before Yugi took another shot at the word. "Raxacoricofallapatorius."

"That's it." The Pharaoh just gave him a smile, enjoying the way Yugi's face lit up with that one smile. It surprised him that it took so little to keep the young man happy. "We have to. She can be judged on her crimes there."

"They've given my family the death sentence." The Pharaoh paused for a moment before giving a shrug, stopping only when Yugi didn't follow him.

"What do you mean, your family?"

"You really thought that we were a race?" The Slitheen shook her head, almost laughing at Yugi. "You really are just an ignorant human." The Pharaoh took a step towards the Slitheen, the woman quailing for a moment before looking back at Yugi. "We were tried in our absence, to return would mean death."

"Not my problem." The Pharaoh grabbed her arm again and began walking back to the TARDIS.

"Really? I thought that you would have kept your companion from seeing such things." The Pharaoh forced himself not to look back at Yugi, reaching into his pocket for the key to the TARDIS before shoving her inside. The woman gasped in mock shock. "And I had heard such tales about the mercy that the Pharaoh showed to his enemies."

"You had one chance. Now you face the consequences."

"But they'll kill me!"

"Not my problem." The Pharaoh gave her one last shrug before, pointing to one part of the TARDIS, the Slitheen going to sit down at his order. He gave her a warning glare before turning to Duke, the Time Agent having settled in to fiddle with the extrapolator. "And?"

Duke shrugged. "I have no idea what she was going to use this for. It's usually used kind of like a pan-dimensional surfboard, but that would imply having to get away from something."

The Pharaoh crossed his arms, shaking his head. They couldn't ask the Slitheen for answers, and he was reluctant to take the piece of machinery apart to see what else was programmed in it. The extrapolator could help the TARDIS some way as it was. He drummed his fingers against his arm before shrugging. "Hook it up to the TARDIS, let's see what she says about it."

He reached out to tug the view screen towards him, aware that the Slitheen was looking at him. He would worry about getting them to Raxacoricofallapatorius after they discovered what the Slitheen had been doing here. Hopefully, any damage could be undone before they left. The screen in front of him flickered, the Pharaoh returning his attention to that at the same time that he realized that Yugi had yet to enter the TARDIS. Picking up on this, the TARDIS displayed where Yugi was on the screen, the Pharaoh having to keep his mouth from dropping open in shock at the sight, barely aware that his hands had curled into fists.

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_Please read and review. Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated._


	36. Breaking Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter Thirty-Five: Breaking Up**

**Chapter Thirty-Five: Breaking Up**

"_How's Mickey?"__  
"__He's OK, he's gone".__  
"__Do you want to go and find him? We'll wait."__  
"__No need. He deserves better."_

_-The Doctor and Rose Tyler_

"YUGI!" He heard his name shouted just before he entered the TARDIS, having enough time to shut the door before something ran into his back, pulling him into a hug. Almost afraid of who had grabbed onto him, Yugi turned his head only to see Miho hanging onto him. He belatedly realized that Joey had told him that she had moved here after his disappearance, all other thoughts leaving as she squeezed him. "Oh, Yugi, I thought you were dead. I thought that that man had killed you!"

"Nope." He coughed out the word, Miho releasing him the next minute, spinning him around before hugging him close again. "Miho, really, I'm alright. I need to breathe!"

"But I'm afraid that you'll disappear again." She looked up at him and smiled, Yugi trying to get free. He didn't know if the Pharaoh was ready to leave and the Time Lord would be mad if he wasn't there. But something told him that the Pharaoh wouldn't leave without him. Still, there was no reason to tempt fate. Yugi wiggled, trying to get out of Miho's hold, freezing when she leaned over to kiss him. "Let's go."

"What?"

She backed away, managing to have captured one of his hands without him knowing. Miho smiled and gave him a gentle tug. "Let's go somewhere. Spend the day together. It's been over a year since we've done anything."

"But-"

"Please, Yugi." He stared at her before looking back at the TARDIS, suddenly aware of the key that hung around his neck. As much as he wanted to go back to the TARDIS, there were things that he and Miho had to talk about, things that he needed to straighten out with her. The Pharaoh could come and find him if he needed to. Hopefully the Time Lord wouldn't leave without him.

"Alright."

She smiled at him, beginning to bound ahead, Yugi allowing himself to be pulled along. "We'll head down to the beach and spend some time at the shops down there. And we could head back to my apartment." Yugi paled at the statement, struggling to smile at her as Miho looked back as him. He shivered as her fingers brushed over his palm. "I really have missed you."

"Uh…" It was the only sound that he could get out. He really needed to tell her that whatever they had once had was over, but the words just wouldn't come out. Yugi shot a look over his shoulder, hoping that the Pharaoh would come to his rescue, but he had no such luck. He sighed and allowed himself to be dragged toward the beach, not stepping up to walk beside Miho.

Almost as a second thought, he dug out his phone, quickly sending a text to his mother to let her know that he was alright before shoving it back in his pocket, realizing that he had attracted Miho's attention. "What?"

"Were you texting that alien you ran off with?"

"No." Yugi tipped his head to the side. "Just telling my mother that I'm fine."

"Oh." Miho flipped her hair, which was bound back in a ponytail, over her shoulder. "Why did you go with him in the first place?"

"Because I wanted to see what was out there."

"He didn't kidnap you?"

"What? No!" Yugi blushed as people looked at him because of his outburst. "I told you that I wanted to see what was out there."

"But you were gone for a year."

Yugi shook his head, keeping his mouth shut as he tried to figure out what he wanted to say. He sighed and led her over to a bench, wanting to forestall their trip to the beach and what would eventually come after it as long as possible. In fact, he wanted to ignore that possibility for as long as possible.

He gently sat her down with a smile before getting up and pacing behind her, unable to keep still. "It was a mistake. I…I really enjoy traveling with him."

"But, I never get to see you anymore." Miho turned around to look at him. "And I really do miss you. Other guys are asking me out all the time, but I remain faithful to you. Do you know how hard that is?"

"Miho, I-"

"I don't want to ask you to chose, but I need this." She began to cry, Yugi slumping before going to lean on the bench, trying to steel himself against her tears. He wasn't going to break, not this time. "I need to know where you are because…because I want to get married."

"What?"

"I want to get married and have a good life." She looked up at him with a smile. "And you're really the only nice guy that I've found."

"But-"

"No others." She wiped the tears away from her eyes before gently pulling Yugi around the bench and encouraging him to sit beside her, immediately cuddling up to his side. Yugi could only sit in shock, unable to comprehend what had just happened, staring off into the distance.

He could feel the urge to run returning, the urge to get out of the situation as fast as possible. He was only nineteen; he didn't want to settle down yet. He didn't want to start a family. He didn't want to give up his new life.

Yugi twitched, almost ready to run as Miho wrapped an arm around his waist, swallowing harshly. "Miho?"

"Yes."

"I-I have something to tell you." Miho gave a hum to show that she was listening. Yugi looked down at her and gave a long sigh, trying to gather together his courage. He had faced down Slitheen and Daleks without flinching, but he couldn't do this. But, if he didn't he could wave good-bye to his life among the stars. And he wasn't quite ready for that.

"Yes?"

"I think that we should stop seeing each other." Yugi flinched as Miho tensed, the young woman looking up at him with a confused expression.

"What do you mean?"

"Obviously this isn't going to work out between the two of us with me traveling all the time and I don't want to hold you back. So…" Yugi wanted to groan and hit his head against something. He was horrible at this. But it was better to get it done now than to continue to string Miho along. He swallowed before looking at her, forcing himself not to react as tears formed in her eyes.

"You're breaking up with me?"

"Yes. But not because of anything that you've done. I just think that it would be better this-Did you hear that?" Yugi stood up, glancing up at the sky as he heard a sound like thunder. He frowned at the clear skies, slowly turning his place as he scanned for something that would produce that sound.

He glanced down at Miho as she gave a sob, blinking in confusion when he realized that she was still reacting to his news. Yugi shifted nervously before glancing up at the sky one more time. There weren't any clouds that he could see, but that didn't mean anything. He had learned from his travels to listen to his instincts, and his instincts were telling him that something was wrong.

"Yugi!" He focused on Miho again, trying hard not to just break and run. Something was obviously wrong here, he could feel it. He couldn't just look at his former girlfriend, his eyes darting around to fix on the buildings around him, searching for the source of the noise. "Is this _alien_ more important to your than me?"

"I just…can't settle down yet."

"What about later then?" Yugi didn't have an answer to that question, his gaze dropping to the ground to stare at his shoes. He wasn't thinking that far ahead with his life. As of now, he was just unemployed, living off of what the Pharaoh offered, but it was enough for him. For the first time in his life, he was _free_. Free from what society told him to act like, told him how to be like.

He wasn't going to become a mass murderer or just end up going nowhere just because he lived in the slums of Domino City. He _knew_ things and he could work. Slowly, he was gaining the confidence that he never had and he enjoyed the feeling. He didn't want to go back to what he had been before, content with being shuffled around his entire life. Yugi wanted to stand and try and make his life better, push against the normal flow. He wanted to just be Yugi Mutou without any second thoughts or other people defining him.

"I have time for that."

"No you don't." Yugi made to walk away, finally unable to remain there any longer. He had done what he needed to do, thrown off the last tie to his old life, the last person who would tell him what to be, no matter how nice she was. "I swear, if you walk away from me now, Yugi Mutou, this is over."

He turned to look back at her, his gaze settling on Miho's face for a moment before moving to the poster on one of the buildings close by, his eyes widening at the graffiti scrawled over it. Dark Game.

It was time to move on.

Yugi sighed and turned away, walking back towards the TARDIS while trying to ignore Miho. It was all for the best, he reminded himself, even as he hated hurting one of his friend's feelings. He pulled a hand out of his pocket to run through his hair, stumbling to the side as the ground shook beneath his feet. Yugi swayed, catching himself on the nearest building before looking up at it, frowning.

There would have been some kind of warning if an earthquake was coming, or so he hoped. Yugi pushed away from the building with a confused look, the ground trembling again. Still, the safest place would be the TARDIS, and the Pharaoh would be able to figure out what was going on.

Yugi turned to call Miho over, intending to get her to safety as well, only to realize that she had already left. He frowned and was about to move towards the bench they had been sitting at when the ground rocked again, Yugi stumbling backwards before reluctantly turning and running for the TARDIS, stumbling as the ground continued to rock under his feet.

* * *

The Pharaoh quickly switched the view screen so it displayed the image of the extrapolator, staring fixedly at it. He didn't want to think about what he had just seen. He didn't want to think about Yugi getting kissed by Miho and walking off with her. Some part of him urged that he should just leave, let Yugi stay behind with the girl that he had obviously chosen, but he forced himself to be rational. Besides, the extrapolator could blow up while they were in the time vortex, and he didn't want to risk that.

"How does it look?" The Pharaoh started a bit as Duke spoke; the Time Agent standing up from his place by the extrapolator and walking around to the screen, scanning it. The Time Agent frowned and rocked back on his heels. "Nothing."

"So far." He looked over at the Slitheen that was sitting where he had directed her to, the woman looking up without bothering to play innocent.

"What, you expect me to try and escape?"

"Yes. You escaped before, leaving your family to die."

"The teleport only carried one." She snapped the words out, looking between Duke and the Pharaoh, probably searching for sympathy, but she would get none. The Slitheen gave a growl and looked down at the floor. "Besides, I have heard the legends, you would have to be deaf not to. Nothing and no one escapes from the Pharaoh. The whisper at the far edge of the galaxy that not even the Time Lords could escape from him."

"What?"

The Slitheen smiled, the Pharaoh belatedly realizing that he had allowed himself to walk into a trap. "You accuse me of killing my family, Pharaoh, but what about you? You who is rumored to have killed your own planet? What happened to Gallifrey, Pharaoh, where did it go?"

"There was a war." He turned around, leaving her to think over that. The entire universe was rocked by the Time War, he knew that. Two great species clashing in an attempt to control time itself, and no one had survived. The lesser species, the ones who had escaped without their planets being torn apart, only heard rumors, only had ripples of strange events from the moment when time mourned the loss of its children. But nothing more. And he was not going to be the one to supply the rest of the story.

Gallifrey and her Time Lords were gone. It was best if they remained buried.

"And that explains it." The Slitheen turned to stare at one of the walls again. "Only one who has seen death so many times could condemn me to this fate."

"It's not my problem."

"You say that now!" She stood up, obviously desperate. The Pharaoh glanced over at her, meeting her gaze and staring her down. It was her move now, would she back down or continue to appeal to his mercy, something that was in low supply right now. The Slitheen hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. "They'll throw me in acetic acid to be dissolved, still alive and still screaming. Can you really return me home knowing that? Your friend there can't. He can't even look me in the eye."

The Pharaoh glanced over at Duke, noticing that the Time Agent had gone back to messing with the extrapolator, obviously using the gadget as an excuse not to look up at the Slitheen. The Time Lord shook his head and looked directly at the Slitheen without hesitation. He had done much worse than that and, while he wasn't proud of it, it hadn't killed him so he was stronger for it.

The Slitheen took a step back. "So you would condemn me. But I've changed? The murder rates have gone down here and there's been no crime. I've done nothing to these people!"

"A single instance is not enough." The Pharaoh glared back at the screen, looking for something that he knew had to be there. It had been too simple to subdue the Slitheen.

"Then you leave me no choice." He started at the hard tone of voice that the Slitheen used, taking a step backwards unconsciously. The woman smiled at him, pulling something from her pocket and waving it in the air. "There is nothing to be found on the extrapolator, yet. I should congratulate you on being such a good opponent, but you didn't see this coming. Activate program Yami no Game!"

The TARDIS gave a shudder, the Pharaoh reaching out to grab onto the console as the time machine rocked, jerking his head up to stare at the view screen, eyes widening at what he saw there. The Time Lord cursed, pulling himself upright as the TARDIS shuddered again. "Unhook it, Duke!"

There was a flurry of curses as Duke did was he was ordered, the Time Agent staring at the flashing extrapolator before shaking his head. "No good! What's it doing?"

"It's using the TARDIS." The Pharaoh was flung sideways, scrambling for a hold on the console to keep upright. He didn't want to fall to the floor with the Slitheen obviously enjoying their plight. He would become an easy target then.

"It's programmed to sync up to any piece of technology advanced enough and create an artificial Rift." The Pharaoh glanced over at the Slitheen, watching as she tipped her head to the side. "Don't look at me that way, I knew about the Rift. We all did, and it's my way home. The Earth gets pulled apart by the two opposing rifts in time and space and I use the extrapolator to escape, free from everything else."

The doors burst open in that moment, Yugi stumbling up the ramp. "Pharaoh, what's going on? The city is falling apart out there!"

"Yugi!" His shout of warning was too late, the Slitheen moving much more quickly than expected. The Pharaoh lunged forward to stop her, reacting too slowly. The arm of the human skin that the Slitheen was wearing was thrown to the side, the large green, three-clawed arm of the true form of the Slitheen around Yugi's neck. The young man gave a wheeze of surprise, clawing at the fingers around his neck.

"Now the situation has changed." The Slitheen gave them a smile, briefly tightening her hold on Yugi. "Now, put the extrapolator at my feet. Your precious TARDIS only has a limited time until the new rift tears it apart."

The Pharaoh gritted his teeth, looking between Yugi and the TARDIS. He paused at the soft hum that the TARDIS gave, confused by the sound. His ship shouldn't be so calm if it was close to being torn apart. But, then again, if it was…The Pharaoh's eyes widened, the Time Lord resting a hand on the TARDIS briefly before nodding at Duke. The Time Agent gave him a long stare before setting the extrapolator down in front of the Slitheen, sliding out of the way.

The Slitheen smiled, stepping onto the extrapolator. "Since you were going to show you me no mercy, I shall give you none. You can die knowing that you were the cause of his death!"

She went to squeeze Yugi's windpipe, the Pharaoh watching Duke lunge forward as he closed his eyes. A moment later, he felt warmth on his arm, opening his eyes to see a bright gold light coming from a lifted panel on the console. The Pharaoh glanced as where Duke was lying on the floor, an arm flung over his eyes before stepping forward. "Yugi, don't look."

His companion gave a short nod, turning his face away even as the Slitheen turned to look at the light. It glanced up at the Pharaoh briefly before her attention was refocused back, speaking in a dreamy voice. "What is that?"

"It's the heart of the TARDIS." The Pharaoh crossed his arms, making sure to keep from looking directly at the light. "When you attempted to rip her open, you exposed it. I would think that she would be inclined to be merciful, but you did threaten one of her favorite humans."

There was a low rumble from the TARDIS, the Slitheen trembling as she stared into the light. Her mouth fell open in shock, the Pharaoh almost tempted to look into the light to see what she had seen, but he wouldn't have seen anything. Apparently, it was powerful enough for her to drop Yugi to the ground, the young man grunting as he hit the grating in the floor. The Pharaoh started to move to get to Yugi, but stopped at the words that the Slitheen whispered.

"What are you? What will you become?"

Then she was consumed by light, the Pharaoh having to cover his eyes against the brilliance. Thankfully, the flare didn't last long, the light fading. He heard a dull thump as something hit the ground, lunging for the console and opening his eyes by a fraction as he worked the levers to close the panel, the TARDIS shutting down a moment later.

He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly before looking at his ship. In his mind, the TARDIS gave a soft hum, the sound coming moments before the lights went back on, the view screen flickering to life. Thankfully, the extrapolator was no longer connected to her, the aftershocks of the earthquake disappearing as time and space settled back into place, completely sealing shut.

The Pharaoh frowned as he petted a part of the console. It was almost unnatural how quickly that rift in time and space had healed, but he easily shrugged it off. The Slitheen had just chosen a bad place to create a rift. He glanced down at Duke pulled himself off the ground, the Time Agent giving him a shaky smile before looking over at Yugi, the Pharaoh following his gaze.

Yugi pulled himself from the grating, rubbing his neck and trembling a little. "What happened to her?"

The Pharaoh shrugged. "The TARDIS might have vaporized her, sent her to a different part of time and space or-"

"She's an egg." The Pharaoh stared at Yugi as the young man pulled a large green egg out of the skin suit, holding the thing in his hands with a look of confusion. "The TARDIS turned her into an egg."

"Well," the Pharaoh crossed his arms over his chest, "she's more forgiving than I am."

Yugi stood up carefully, cradling the egg awkwardly. "So, what's next?"

"We take her home." The Pharaoh turned around, walking around the TARDIS and getting her ready to travel again, taking the egg from Yugi and placing it on the console. "The TARDIS thought that she deserved a second chance."

He stayed at the console, waiting until the others had gotten into their normal positions, his hand hesitating over the one lever that would send the TARDIS back into the time vortex. The Pharaoh mentally cursed the girl that Yugi was dating, the mere thought of her stalling his hand. He felt himself tense up, about to turn and ask Yugi if he wanted to go back out and speak to her when the young man answered for him.

Yugi reached over easily and pulled the lever down, smirking and dodging away as the TARDIS rocked into motion. The Pharaoh watched him, automatically adjusting to the rock of the TARDIS. Yugi moved around the console, probably thinking that the Time Lord would come after him for doing that, but the Pharaoh was too focused on what the act showed. Yugi was apparently more than happy to leave Miho behind.

Despite himself, the Pharaoh smiled slightly before beginning to move around the console to pilot the TARDIS, watching as Yugi continued to dodge him, the young man still smiling brightly.

* * *

Miho watched as the blue box disappeared, standing by and letting it take her boyfriend away from her again. She sniffed and gently wiped her eyes, not wanting to smear her mascara. A real lady didn't show any outward sign that her world was falling apart, she stayed composed the entire time. And that's what Miho would force herself to do. No matter how many times Yugi disappeared out of her life, she just _knew_ that he was the right one for her. There had been other guys, ones that had just liked her because she was cute, but Yugi was perfect for her.

And he would see that eventually. All she had to do was be patient.

She sighed, shaking her head. Patience was her weak point and, right now, she wasn't in the mood for entertaining such thoughts.

Yugi had just chosen to continue traveling with that alien over her, and that hurt. She sniffed, wrapping her arms around herself and rocking in place, trying to get the courage to move. Miho didn't want to walk away, some part of her wanting to hang onto this moment. As soon as she walked away, she would no longer be Yugi's girlfriend, no longer the future Mrs. Mutou. She would just be Miho Nosaka, a young woman working her way through this world on her own. And she didn't want that, she wanted to be taken care of.

"Miss?" She turned around, startled by the question, pressing a hand over her heart as a young man jogged up, her eyes widening as she looked at him.

He had messy platinum blonde hair, long strands falling over his lavender eyes. The young man smiled at her, his perfect white teeth sticking out against his tan, Miho feeling her heart beat faster as he walked up to her. He gently rested a hand on her shoulder, giving a soft laugh. "Sorry for startling you. Are you alright?"

Miho could only nod, wondering why she seemed unable to speak. But this young man was simply enchanting.

He didn't seem bothered by her lack of speech, looking in the direction of where the blue box had been before, tilting his head in confusion before looking back at her. His eyes widened as he stared at her for a moment before taking a firmer hold on her shoulder. "You've been crying."

"Yes." Miho finally found her voice, nodding again and finding that she was staring back at where Yugi had disappeared.

"Do you have a place to go? It's dangerous since some of the buildings collapsed, especially those close to the center."

"No. My boyfriend…he just left me and…" Miho was surprised as the young man took her hand gently holding it in his own before beginning to walk away.

"Well, I can't leave you out here all on your own. You can come and stay with me until we're sure that your apartments are safe." Miho resisted the initial tug on her hand, relenting a moment later when the young man gave her hand another gentle tug. "Don't worry; I won't kill you or anything like that."

"Thank you. It's been," Miho sighed, "a really rough day."

"Oh, I've had a few of them, some more recently." He gave her another dazzling smile before seeming to remember something, blinking quickly before ducking his head with a blush. "Oh, sorry, I haven't asked for your name."

"I'm Miho Nosaka."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Miho. I'm Namu Ishtar." He turned back around, leading her deeper into the city. Miho felt a smile cross her face, her heart beginning to beat faster as Namu refused to let go of her hand as they continued to walk. She let herself dissolve into daydreams, missing the smile that Namu sent her way, the expression completely different than the other smiles that he had sent her way. This one was almost psychotic.

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_Please read and review. Constructive criticism is welcome._


	37. Yami no Game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Author's Note: **Alright, since I'm going to be away on Friday, I'm going to just post this chapter now. Enjoy and I'll see you later.

**Author's Note: **Alright, since I'm going to be away on Friday, I'm going to just post this chapter now. Enjoy and I'll see you later.

****

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Six: Yami no Game**

"_Oh, my masters. You can kill me, for I have brought your destruction."_

_-The Controller_

He stared at the screen in front of him, tipping his head to the side with a frown as he removed his hands from the molds in front of him. That wasn't supposed to happen, especially not from an unidentified point in space. He moved his hands to tap them against the table itself, not wanting to accidentally activate something in the game that he was running. He waited a few seconds before removing the headset from its place and walking down the row, resting his hand on a woman's shoulder.

"Hold on." He was put off by a raised hand, stepping back as the woman began her countdown. "Three…two…one...Alright." She took the headset off her head and turned to look at him. "I have fifteen minutes until the next game starts. What's up?"

"I've gotten an anomaly in my game."

"Really?" She stood up, following him back to his place and staring at the small screen. He watched as she blinked and leaned forward, absently admiring the way that her hair fell over the side of her face, creating a curtain. She was part of the reason that he had come here, following her in the dim hopes that their friendship could become something more.

He stumbled back a step as she stood up, glancing at the woman that was suspended in wires at the end of the room, giving a shrug. "I've never seen something like this before. Archive Six would be more help with this than me. But go ask the Controller, maybe she'll know."

"But," he looked at the woman at the front of the room, "she's not exactly-"

"I know that." The woman shrugged. "With the solar flare coming, she's going to be more out of it, but it's our only other choice."

He nodded before walking towards the front of the room, aware that she was heading for the back of the room. He shrugged off the uneasiness that was coming over him, reminding himself that he was the only one who could solve this. Everyone else was busy with their own games, handling the tricky job of timing them just right so that the people on Earth would continue to get their programming. He nodded at some of the people that he had gotten to know, some of them returning the gesture with a wave.

He focused on the Controller, his eyes nervously tracing the wires that fed into her body, her eyes moving like she was reading a screen. She couldn't see him, her mind consumed with the numbers and the programming that it took to transmit the games. But she could hear him, he knew that.

"Excuse me." He waited a moment to see if she would respond, frowning when the woman continued to mutter numbers. "Controller, there seems to be an anomaly in my game. I don't know where it has come from, but it could spread to the other games."

"Return to your station. There is no anomaly."

He stared at her before shaking his head and taking a step forward. "No. There is something wrong with the games. And if we don't do-"

"Archive Six is out of bounds!" He turned around at the Controller's shout, looking towards the room at the back of the room. The woman pulled away from the pad on the wall, glancing between him and the Controller.

"But the anomaly…"

"There is no anomaly, return to your stations." The Controller returned to her soft mumbling of the numbers, ignoring them again. The man turned back a shrugged before trudging back to his seat. There was nothing that he could do if the Controller didn't allow them to act. They were bound by her.

He flopped down in his seat, watching as the woman returned to her seat before he lifted his headset back into place with a sigh. It was almost time to begin the next game. This was the way that his life went, the same pattern everyday, but he was content.

But only if he didn't think about what he was actually doing.

* * *

The Pharaoh groaned, frowning as he felt wood under his cheek and fingers. He frowned and pushed himself from the ground, wincing as his back hurt. He pulled himself up using the wall, leaning against the wall before looking around the small space that he was in. Apparently, he was in a closet, painted bright white with a hardwood floor.

The Time Lord shifted away from the wall, swaying in place before determining that he was steady enough on his feet. He reached out for the door, blinking as it was swung open, a blonde girl staring at him before rushing him out. "Come one! You're going to be late!"

He was pulled from the closet, surprised by the force that he was steered into a hallway and then into a large room. He saw a tall man and an African woman before he was shoved forward, quickly looking around the room to see a small kitchen that sprung off of it, the room that he was currently standing in dominated by a red sofa. The Pharaoh rubbed a hand over his eyes before looking at the three humans in the room, listening as they talked among themselves.

"Is he another contestant?"

"It seems so."

"But it's already so close to eliminations! It's not fair! I am _not_ losing!"

The Pharaoh rolled his eyes, beginning to pace around the room, aware that they were watching him closely. He continued to ignore them as their conversation dropped to low whispers, looking up at the ceiling, surprised to see cameras fixed high on the walls, tracking one as it swiveled around. While he couldn't remember what had happened up to this point, it was enough to know that he was being recorded. But what was the purpose of it.

A hand on his shoulder made him jump, the Pharaoh turning to look at the blonde girl who had led him from the closet. She gave him a shy smile before looking over her shoulder at the others. "Ignore them, they're just on edge."

"And you're not?"

She blushed. "Well, that's why I'm over here. You just came in and I wanted to know what they thought of me back on Earth."

The Pharaoh stared at her for a long time before shaking his head, looking away from the woman. "I didn't come from Earth."

"Then how were you chosen?" She rushed around to look at him, staring at him in a way that reminded the Pharaoh of Yugi. "The transmat just takes someone from Earth, whether they want to or not, but it doesn't extend beyond Earth."

"Takes?" The Pharaoh stared at her for a long moment before glancing up at the camera again, his attention caught. If he couldn't remember what had happened right before he arrived here and people were being pulled from Earth against their will, there was a good chance that something was going on. "Where are my friends?"

"Um, they could be anywhere in the station. They might not even be on this floor." The woman looked around the room that they were in before shrugging. "We have no way of finding them and no way of contacting them."

The Pharaoh turned around, staring at the black shapes that should have been windows if they had been a real apartment with a frown. There was no way to get to Duke or Yugi, which was dangerous considering what had happened to them. It was something just out of his reach, but something important. The Time Lord raised his hand to rub at his forehead, snorting as he watched the humans gather.

The blonde walked over to him, trying to take his hand, which he snatched away. She bit her lip and looked down at the ground. "You have to come with us, or we'll all be punished."

He stared at her before finally relenting, following her over to the sofa and flopping down on the floor, glaring at her when she tried to reach for him again. He was stuck in here and, while he would not get these three punished on his account, he wouldn't participate in whatever stupidity was going on here.

"Contestants," he glanced up as the voice came over the speakers, raising an eyebrows as the humans quivered beside him, "you have gotten this far, but only one can remain. Crosbie, you have been voted out of the house. You have forty seconds to say your good-byes and then, we're going to get you!"

The African woman glanced at the two others, the Pharaoh leaning back against the couch as she hugged the two and then walked to one of the doors in the hallway, directing his gaze to the screen that turned on, showing a brightly lit white room. He raised an eyebrow at the tears that were coming from the other two, shaking his head before turning partially to watch as Crosbie walked into view on the screen. "She's just going to be sent back."

"No. It's worse than that." The blonde girl jumped over the back of the couch to stare at the screen, looking like she was about to reach out to touch the screen before pulling her hand back, the other guy leaning over the back of the couch.

The Pharaoh stared at them for a long while before focusing his attention fully on the screen, watching as Crosbie settled into place, looking up at something at the ceiling before she closed her eyes. He shifted, leaning forward a bit as there was a faint hum in the background, like something warming up before there was a flash of bright light, the Pharaoh starting a bit as Crosbie was disintegrated into a pile of dust. The Time Lord blinked and looked over at the other two people who were sitting there, shaking his head in a mix of disgust and horror. "And you let them do this to you?"

"We have no choice, we'll get killed if we don't listen. Suzanna accidentally damaged something and she was sent out like that! We're trapped here as much as you are."

He looked away from the woman, staring at the screen that still displayed the brightly lit white room, his mind working furiously. If there were more games, then Duke and Yugi could be in the same danger. He winced and rested a hand against his forehead, a sudden headache flaring up before disappearing, leaving him shaking slightly.

_He leaned back against the console, watching as Yugi and Duke caught their breaths from their mad dash back to the TARDIS after returning the Slitheen to her home planet. Of course, Duke had to stay and flirt with the planet's equivalent of nuns. The Pharaoh wasn't sure if Duke had managed to get the alien to sleep with him, all he knew was that Duke had come running towards them while he and Yugi were still talking with the nursery attendant. The next thing he knew, they had been running for their lives._

_Yugi gave a breathy laugh, pushing away from where he leaned on the console before looking over at Duke. "You've got to control that libido of yours."_

"_If you would let me-"_

"_No." Yugi held up a hand, smiling to temper the rejection. But it was all just a part of the harmless flirting that went on between his companion and the Time Agent. And, judging by the looks that Duke shot him for the entirety of the flirting bouts, the Time Agent meant them to make him jealous. But the Pharaoh would not be swayed by that. He knew what was good for him._

_He stepped away from the console, reaching for the controls, hearing Yugi bound over to his side. "Where to next?"_

"_1336\. Kyoto, Japan."_

"_Back home again?"_

"_That Japan and your Japan are nothing alike." He gently pushed Yugi out of the way, the young man giving him the space to work. He watched as Yugi backed away from the console, freezing as a bright light began to filter through the TARDIS, glancing over at Duke to see him tensing as well._

_Yugi glanced behind him before looking back at him, opening his mouth to say something as he was dragged backwards suddenly. The Pharaoh could only watch as his companion fought against the pull of the light, glancing back one more time before reaching out for him, the Time Lord unable to do anything as Yugi was pulled away from him._

"Hey," he tensed as the women laid a hand on his shoulder, "are you alright?"

"Yes." He stood up before walking back into the center of the room, forcing himself to stand still instead of pacing. He didn't trust these two people, even if they said that they had no real choice in this. At least they could have done something to prevent it. In any case, he didn't have the time to waste waiting around for something to happen. Even then it could be too late. The Pharaoh had the bad feeling that all of the games were as deadly as this one. "I'm getting out of here."

"But you just arrived, you can't be voted off yet."

He looked at the blonde girl with disdain, the look softening a moment later. Despite himself, he found himself comparing this woman to Yugi, both of them still stuck on a single path because the world offered them no way out. The Pharaoh shook his head, wondering when he had gone soft before he let out a sigh, his hand reaching inside his pocket for the sonic screwdriver. "Who said I was going to let them control my fate?"

The Pharaoh pulled out the sonic screwdriver and aimed it at one of the cameras, watching as it sparked before pocketing the tool again. He ignored the gasps of the two occupants of the room, rolling his eyes as the man started to mumble nonsense. The Time Lord walked over to the door that would lead out, staring at the white door. He had been brought here for a reason; there was no other explanation for whatever had taken Yugi being able to pass through the TARDIS defenses. There were precious few races out in the galaxy that actually knew how to get around the defenses of a TARDIS. And, because that number was so low, it stood to reason that Yugi and Duke were in danger.

The Pharaoh turned with a glare as the woman latched onto his arm. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I will not be held here."

"You have no choice!"

"There's always a choice."

"Pharaoh," he smirked as the voice came back on over the speakers, "you have broken the rules of the Big Brother house. You have forty seconds to say your good-byes and then we're going to get you!"

The door opened, the Pharaoh simply walking in. He saw the woman hesitate at the open door before rushing back to the screen, the Time Lord shaking his head as the door slid shut. Humans could be so easily fooled, they had the tendency to believe anything they were told. He crossed his arms over his chest and tipped his head up to look at the device that looked like a sprinkler system on the ceiling. That's where the disintegrator beam would come from…if it even came.

The longer that nothing happened, the wider his smirk got; the Time Lord finally giving a harsh bark of laughter, pulling the sonic screwdriver from his pocket. "Of course."

He spun around, pointing his sonic screwdriver at the door on the other side of the small room, watching as the door opened, revealing a large dark grey room. The Pharaoh pocketed the sonic screwdriver before walking towards the exit pausing when he heard someone rushing after him.

"Wait!" The blonde rushed from the small white room and out into the grey room. "I want to come with you. I could show you where the other games were…or tell you what's going on. I don't want to die like that!"

"Fine. Just stay out of my way." The Pharaoh brushed past her into the room, freezing as he recognized the architecture of the room, turning slowly in place. At first, he thought he was wrong, that there was no way that he could be here. But he forced himself to face facts. Everything told him that he was in the same place.

He had returned to Satellite 5.

The Pharaoh turned around, searching for the door that would lead to the elevator. Whether this was Satellite 5 or not, he had to get to a station where he could search for Yugi and Duke. He would worry about why this had happened a little later.

He began walking towards a likely candidate, staring at the handprint pad before pulling out the sonic screwdriver, beginning to work on overriding the controls for the system. The Pharaoh glanced up as he heard the woman walking around, hearing her gasp.

"You hear stories about this old thing, but I never thought that I would see it." He glanced back over his shoulder, seeing the woman smiling. "They say that it's been up here for over one hundred years, and that it once broadcast news." She gave a chuckle. "If only it still did that. Then we would have been safe."

The Pharaoh froze momentarily, standing up slowly as the doors opened, quickly keying in the number of the level that he, Yugi and Tomoya had landed on before, knowing that there was a computer terminal around there. He waited until the woman had stepped in before speaking. "What do you mean?"

"What…Oh, about the safe thing." She shifted so she was leaning against one of the walls, smiling at him. The Pharaoh turned his gaze back to the front of the elevator, sure that she was attempting to flirt with him. The problem was, he wasn't interested. "Well, this place used to broadcast the news until one day, about one hundred years ago, then it all just stopped. The Earth panicked and they sent people up here to check it out. Turns out, the reporters had decided to stop, saying that the system was corrupt. Well, people didn't like that so they wanted them all punished. That was the first instance of these games. A new company took over the Satellite; installed the systems and hired the workers. They were so popular that they started to take volunteers. And when the ratings demanded more…"

The Pharaoh didn't turn around to see her shrug, glaring at the door. So the humans had messed it up; they had taken all the innocent people and killed them all just because of what he had done. But that meant that he had helped create this world. He gritted his teeth and stepped out of the elevator as the doors opened, striding quickly towards where the computer would be. Well, if he created this world, then he could destroy it. He was the only one who could set time right, because this just felt wrong.

He frowned as he approached the computer, trying to get a handle on the feeling that he was experiencing. This place still felt wrong, but it was only now that he thought about it. There was something else resting over it, something calming and familiar.

Something Time Lord.

The Pharaoh shook off the feeling, knowing that it had to be false. There weren't any Time Lords left, so it was impossible. He just had to focus on the task before him, one step at a time.

He knelt in front of the computer, pulling off the front panel before staring at the inside, taking the sonic screwdriver out and searching through the wires before beginning. It would be a simple task to hack into the computer and search out the others. Out of all of them, Yugi would be the hardest to find because he was completely human, but the challenge made it interesting. The Pharaoh smiled to himself before turning on the sonic screwdriver and going to work.

* * *

He blinked, slowly opening his eyes at the sound of two female voices with a slight robotic tinge to them. Duke groaned and sat up, looking over as one of the robots as they rested a hand on his shoulder. "I told you that this was the perfect specimen."

"Hello ladies." Duke winced as his head pounded, giving it a shake before sitting up straighter. "Where am I?"

"That shouldn't be your first worry, honey." The blue and white robot spoke, wheeling across the room to pull a mirror more towards the stand in the center of the room. A stand that, Duke noticed, held a dangerous looking weapon. "Those clothes should be. What were you going for?"

Duke looked down at the black pants and the white shirt that he had on, giving a shrug. "What was clean."

"No, no." The purple and white robot moved across the floor, stopping beside him before helping him stand up, steadying him as Duke swayed. "The white just makes the black look tacky. Besides, you need something else, something special."

"Something leather."

"Oh, leather will work perfectly." The purple and white robot seemed to wiggle eagerly before bustling over to where some clothes were hanging on a rack. "Probably black. Now, what color would suit him?"

"Hm…definitely a color. He also needs something to keep those bangs out of his gorgeous eyes." The blue and white robot was behind the weapon, Duke tensing for a moment as it activated the gun, watching as a blue beam of light shot out and ran over his body, removing his clothes from him and leaving a slight tingling sensation. Duke raised an eyebrow and looked down at himself, giving a chuckle before glancing back up at the robots.

"Am I right in assuming this is some kind of show?"

"Yes."

"So I'm naked on public television?"

"Absolutely!"

Duke chuckled as the two robots spoke in sync, rocking back a bit on his heels, winking at them. "I can assure you that your ratings just went up."

The two robots chuckled before returning to their racks of clothes, Duke readjusting his stance and looking around the room, making sure to seem nonchalant. He didn't want those two picking up on any unease that he had, and he had no way of knowing what their sensors could pick up. Besides, it was not like him to actually show his worry in situations like this. It was much easier to flirt and pretend that he had no idea what was going on while he kept a careful watch on everything.

He could remember what had happened on the TARDIS, albeit some events were still a bit foggy, but he could blame the trasmat that was used to get them here. And it would have had to have been a strong transmat to penetrate the TARDIS. He was also on edge because he was separated from the others, which meant that he would have to look for them, a dangerous thing since he didn't know where he was.

Duke smoothed out his features, making sure to smile as the robots turned back to him, throwing a pair of pants and underwear at him. He slipped the articles of clothing on, one of the robots searching a shelf of shoes that she pulled out while the other continued going through a rack of shirts, eventually pulling out a vest and tossing it on the table that he had been laying on earlier. Duke was about to go and pick the vest up when the blue and white robot trundled back over and placed a pair of boots on the ground, gesturing for him to put them on.

He shrugged and bent over, listening to the conversation that the robots were having as he opened up the wrist strap, checking to see if it still functioned. While not at its highest capacity, which it hadn't functioned at for a while, it still worked. He smirked to himself and quickly set the technology to work, scanning for an alien with two hearts before quickly slipping on the boots and standing up.

"Red or blue."

"Definitely not blue…or green either."

"Red then." Duke caught the shirt that was thrown at him, slipping it on along with the black vest. The robots seemed to stare at it for a while before nodding, one returning to fiddle with something at a table while the other continued to circle him.

"It's one combination. Interesting."

He looked up as the robot by the table started speaking, raising an eyebrow as he guessed that would be a camera there. The robot by his side moved back to the defabricator and switched it on, dissolving his clothes again. Duke shivered a little in the suddenly cooler air, crossing his arms over his chest and waiting.

"Now it's time for the face off."

"Really?" Duke smirked and held up his hands like he was boxing. "Are you going to pit me against another opponent? I'm sorry to say that it would be no contest. He would lose."

"No, literally." Duke paled as the blue and white robot showed him one of her arms, the hand gone and replaced by a saw. He took a step back, glancing at the purple and white robot that had moved from his side, coming to join her friend in front of him. "Face. Off."

"Now, ladies," Duke held up his hands and smiled, "this face is completely natural. And I intend to keep it that way."

He lowered one of his hands, reaching down behind him. Duke held back a wince as he reached in, two fingers brushing against the cold metal there before securing a hold long enough for him to pull the slim weapon out. He kept his eyes focused on the two robots, wishing that he had at least bedded Yugi…or maybe the Pharaoh, then this would be easer.

With a practiced move, he pulled the laser to front, pointing the slim, short weapon at the two robots and watching them retreat, a smile crossing his face. Despite the slight discomfort, it was well worth it for this.

"But that's a Compact Laser Deluxe."

"Where on Earth were you hiding that?"

Duke gave a playful wince before shaking his head. "Honestly, you don't want to know."

Easily he fired off two shots, hitting his targets perfectly and watching the heads of the robots blow off. Duke smirked before tossing the small laser to the side, his eyes on the defabricator that was in a room; with a few adjustments, it could be a viable weapon. Another cold breeze reminded him of something more pressing to take care of.

He moved over to the racks of clothes, picking up a pair of black pants and a black sleeveless shirt, pulling both of those on before slipping a red vest over the shirt. Duke brushed his bangs out of his eyes, one hand closing the belt around his waist as he looked for something to keep his hair from getting in his way. He spotted a strip of red fabric, smirking as he tied it around his head.

Duke then moved to the large defabricator, circling around it before moving to the back of the weapon, fiddling with the knobs there before easily pulling it off the stand. A smile crossed his face as he moved towards the door. He shoved his shoulder against the pad there, surprised when the door easily opened up. The former Time Agent tensed before moving through the door, staring in awe at the large room that he found himself in.

Cautiously, he moved across the empty floor, easily identifying the elevator and opening it. He slipped inside, resting his new weapon in a position where he could get to his wrist strap, flipping it open and glaring at the piece of technology. It had done most of its job; it had found that there was an alien with two hearts in the place that he was in. But it had failed to give the specific location. Duke swore under his breath before slapping the device, a smile crossing his face when it gave a beep and then began to function. He leaned over and pressed the correct floor buttons before settling back.

The ride up to the floor that the Pharaoh was on was quick, but Duke was still nearly hopping in place by the time he reached his destination, slipping out of the doors as soon as they would allow him passage. He hit the open room at a run, dashing to where the Pharaoh was.

At first, he was thrown off by the presence of a blonde woman, but he relaxed when the Pharaoh seemed to be ignoring her presence completely, totally focused on the computer in front of him. Duke edged closer, surprised to hear a growl coming from the Time Lord, too used to the Pharaoh being in complete control of his emotions at all times. The Time Lord pulled free of the mess of wires, glancing back at Duke before looking at the computer.

"Your wrist device, I need something to interface with the computer."

"Can't you just hack into it?" Duke shifted his weapon to the ground, undoing the strap and handing it over to the Pharaoh.

"The system is complicated, too complicated for this kind of computer." The Pharaoh plugged a few wires into the device, staring at it before punching a few numbers in and frowning at what he got. "They've rigged it so that it's nearly impossible to get in."

"Impossible?"

"I said nearly, Duke." The Pharaoh snapped the words at him before looking up at the screen of the terminal, freezing at the words that he saw there. He sat up straighter, the action encouraging Duke to edge closer to read the words that floated lazily across the screen.

"Dark Game?"

"Yeah," Duke turned to look at the woman, watching as she glanced down at her feet, "it's the name of the company that owns this satellite."

Duke tipped his head to the side before wandering over. "Hello, Captain Duke Devlin. And you are?"

"Lynda Moss."

"Keep the flirting to a minimum."

"I was just saying hello!" Duke shot a glare at the Pharaoh, the expression softening a moment later. He couldn't be mad at the Time Lord, not when the Pharaoh was still worried about Yugi. In fact, he was worried about Yugi. He had seen first hand how dangerous these games were. And if Yugi was still in there…

He walked back over to the Pharaoh, having to jump backwards as the Time Lord stood up. The former Time Agent deftly caught the device that was thrown back at him, strapping it around his wrist again before picking up his weapon. The Pharaoh would only move like this if something had been found. "Yugi?"

"Floor sixteen."

"Sixteen?" Lynda walked over to the screen, gasping before grabbing onto Duke's arm and pulling him towards the elevator. "We've got to hurry! He's with the Anne-droid!"

__

* * *

_Please read and review. Constructive criticism is welcome._


	38. Mörka Spel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter Thirty-Seven: ** **Mörka Spel**

**Chapter Thirty-Seven: **   
**Mörka Spel**

"_I'm coming to get you."_

_-The Doctor_

Yugi groaned and tried to sit up, flinching at the headache that pounded in his skull. He closed his eyes, remaining still for a moment before continuing to lever himself upright, gasping as he felt someone touch his shoulder helping him up. The room spun with the sudden movement, Yugi clinging to the other person as he waited for it to stop spinning.

"Come on." Yugi opened his eyes and stepped away from the person at the impatient tone, looking over the man before sighing. It would have been too much to ask to be dumped where the Pharaoh was, wherever he was. He dusted off his clothes before looking around he dark room, flinching again as he head pounded, groaning and leaning into his hands. He yelped as he was shoved forward, shooting a glare at the man who was encouraging him to keep moving. "You're late."

"For what?"

"I don't know why you are even in here." The man was obviously ignoring him, continuing to rattle on. "It's too close to the starting time to send in a new person, but I'm not in charge of things here, just wanting to get my chance."

"What?"

The man glanced over at him, shaking his head. "That trasmat did a number on you, didn't it? Simply put, you are on a game show that you will lose."

"Lose?"

"I intend to win," the man nodded, more to himself than to Yugi, "and make out with a small fortune in the form of credits, complements of the Dark Game Company."

"Dark Game?" Yugi glanced at the man before looking over at the small set that was lit up; his eyes going wide as he stared at the podiums that were arranged in a half circle, staring at the one that had his name written on it. He shivered, feeling like his stomach was twisting. Those two words had followed him all over time and space, seeming to taunt him with their foreboding message, whatever message that was. Yugi swallowed, glancing around nervously. After all, there was no other way to think about this other than a trap, seeing as his name was on the podium.

"Yeah. All you do is participate in the games. If you win, you get off free."

"And if I lose?"

The man hesitated, shaking his head with a laugh. "Don't think about it that way, kid."

Yugi was about to protest that he wasn't a kid when he was shoved towards the podium, catching himself on it before scrambling behind it, watching as more people scrambled around. He tensed as he looked over all the contestants, realizing how frightened that most of them looked. Yugi jumped as the crew in charge of the set began the countdown, stiffening as the motioned for the game to start.

He blinked as the lights came on, focusing on him as the android in front of them began to speak. "Welcome to the Weakest Link."

Yugi blinked at the unfamiliar title, not one for game shows, but he saw the others tense, muttering to themselves. He swallowed and glanced around, not paying attention to the instructions on how to play. Something was telling him that he had to get out of here as fast as possible because something was going to go wrong. Yugi tensed, glancing back at the door and figuring out when he should make a break for it, straightening suddenly as he realized that he was being asked a question.

"Who was the leader of the Pluto Revolution?"

"Um…"

"That is incorrect." Yugi stared at her for a moment until he realized that she had taken his hesitation for an answer. "The answer is Fredciso. Next question."

The android rotated away from him, Yugi relaxing and staring at the others, watching as they trembled and gave their answers. Yugi found himself gripping the podium tightly, jumping as his turn came up again. He almost hoped that the Pharaoh would show up.

"Yugi, what the Great Cobalt Pyramid is built on the remains of what famous Earth institution?"

"The FBI?"

"Incorrect. The correct answer is Torchwood." And the android was away again, Yugi feeling his arms tremble. He relaxed a moment later as the first round was called to an end, looking at the board that he was obviously supposed to write on. His hands trembled as he picked up the marker, realizing belatedly that he would have to vote someone off the show, it was the standard formula for these things. Swallowing nervously, he looked around the group before scrawling down the first name that he saw.

It was bad enough that he was here on his own but worse that he was horribly distracted by the reappearance of the words dark game, the two words that seemed to have been following him. His hand tightened on the marker that he held, Yugi shaking his head before holding up his whiteboard to show to the android, not really caring what was going on. All he knew was that he had to get out of here before something happened.

"Yugi," he perked up as he name was called, slightly embarrassed that he hadn't been paying attention before he turned to look at the android, "what is it you do?"

"Oh," he blinked, "I just travel."

"So, you're saying that you're unemployed."

Yugi stared at the android before shaking his head. "No, I just travel."

"So you _are_ unemployed."

"That's not what I'm saying at all. I'm taking a year off for travel. It's normal."

"If I were you, I would get a job. That hairstyle must be hard to keep up on a small budget." Yugi resisted the urge to do something drastic, gripping the podium tightly as he watched the android shift about, looking at the other contestants before returning to him. "So, why did you vote out Daria?"

"Well, she got some of the questions wrong…"

"So did you."

"But I can't vote for myself." Yugi stared at the android before glancing back at Daria, surprised to see that the young woman was crying. He edged away from her, his eyes widening as she looked over at him before glancing at the android.

"Please, give me another chance. I was just nervous the first time from all the lights. I can do better, I promise."

Yugi flinched as the android's mouth opened, a tube appearing. "You are the weakest link. Good-bye."

He jumped as a beam of light was fired from the android, blinking the bright light from his eyes as he stared at where Daria had stood, shaking his head. All that remained of the young woman was a pile of ashes. Yugi shivered before looking back at the other contestant, unsurprised that the man who had helped him over remained uninterested, but the others looked just as nervous. Yugi swallowed before shaking his head, opening his mouth to speak.

"I'm not playing!" Yugi turned his head to look at a teenager on one of the ends of the half circle, the teenager trembling as he shook his head. "This is insane!"

The teenager pushed away from the podium, running for the door out of the studio. Yugi leaned back a bit, hoping that he would have a chance to run soon. He didn't know anything about this time period, what was common knowledge for the rest of the group was strange to him. He shivered, not wanting to end up voted off of the show, especially if being disintegrated was the result.

He jumped as the android turned to look at the running teenager, its eyes seeming to glow a bit in the bright lights as its mouth opened again. "You are the weakest link. Good-bye."

The teenager gave a panicked scream as the beam of light hit him, Yugi tensing as the teenager dissolved into particles of dust. He froze in place, staring at the dust pile so close to the door that led out of the studio. So there was no escape from this unless he played the game through, something that he doubted that he could actually do unless he guessed correctly. He turned back to face the front, his mouth suddenly dry at the enormity of the task.

He wouldn't get out of here alive.

Yugi shivered, the man beside him shooting him a sideways look while cleaning off the whiteboard in his hand. "You know, I might just keep you around."

"What?"

"You're stupid," Yugi bristled at that, unable to deliver a retort as the man continued, "I want to face _you_ in the finals."

"We'll see."

"Yeah right." The man chuckled. "Where have you been, living under a rock for the past twelve years of your life?"

"I'm not twelve." Yugi braced his arms on the podium, looking over at the man. "And I intend to win."

"I'd like to see that."

Yugi glared at him, turning his attention back to the android as she began the next round, his heart sinking as more of the questions came his way. There was no way that he could know any of them. Yugi swallowed nervously as the android came to face him.

"Who is the premiere citizen of the Boeshane Peninsula?"

Yugi stared at her for a moment before his eyes widened, decided to take a chance. "The Face of Boe!"

"Correct." He relaxed as the android continued on, a smile crossing his face. Maybe he could do this; it just wasn't in him to give up. Yugi straightened himself up, eagerly waiting for the android to come back around to him. This was a challenge that he was looking forward to.

Three rounds later with only three of them remaining, Yugi was trembling again, licking his lips nervously as he watched the android look at them all, realizing that the voting would be beginning soon. And, he could easily be voted off. The man hadn't answered most of the questions or banked the most money, it was the other contestant, the one that kept shooting Yugi disappointed looks. His fingers tightened on the podium as the moment ticked closer.

"Let's see who you've chosen to be the weakest link."

The door burst open as the android finished those words, Yugi leaning around the man to see three people waiting. A smile crossed his face as he recognized two out of the three, taking a step back from the podium. "Pharaoh…"

The smile disappeared when he remembered what would happen to them. He glanced back at the android before pushing away from the podium, crossing the room at a run. After so many close calls, he had gotten faster and better at running, almost able to keep stride with the Pharaoh. Yugi pushed himself into a sprint, intending to push the Pharaoh and Duke out of the way if anything went wrong. He couldn't bear to lose any of them. Duke was like his best friend.

And the Pharaoh…he was just the Pharaoh. Yugi wasn't willing to look much further into that.

"You are the weakest link." Yugi felt his heart speed up, he was almost there He would be able to beat this. "Good-bye."

He felt something hot touch his back, the heat spreading through his body. Yugi looked up in time to see the Pharaoh staring at him in what looked like horror. He tried to reach out to the Time Lord, screaming as the heat became too much.

And then there was nothing but darkness.

* * *

The Pharaoh fell to his knees, staring at the pile of ashes that had once been his companion. He reached out, not really aware of anything that was going on around him, barely looking up as Duke stormed past him, the gun that the former Time Agent had come out of his game with aimed at the crew working in the studio. He was only focused on the ashes, gently picking up a bit between his fingers and watching it run out of his grip, his hand beginning to tremble.

Some part of him wanted to deny that it was true, that Yugi was dead and gone. But the evidence was right in front of him. There was no denying that.

The Pharaoh swayed slightly, hearing people moving around and Duke shouting, but not able to do anything about it, numbly letting the security guards take him away, most of his attention turned inward. He had failed Junri. He hadn't been able to keep Yugi safe from everything out there. It was just a testament to his life.

He hadn't been able to save his family.

He hadn't been able to save his brother.

He hadn't been able to save his planet.

And he hadn't been able to save Yugi, the one person who had become his entire world.

Everything that he had done had been for Yugi, and he could admit that freely now because Yugi would never be coming back. The young man had showed him that the universe was something more than just pain and reminders of everything of what he had lost. He had been able to see the beauty, see the excitement through Yugi's eyes as the young man stepped onto a new planet. Somehow, he had begun to heal, begun to return to an almost normal state.

Now, he just couldn't feel anything anymore. It was just like after the war.

He felt a hand brush over his arm, turning his head to look at who touched him and finding that Lynda was looking at him, a smile on her face as she attempted to cheer him up. The Pharaoh turned his head away, staring at the grey walls as the guards led them away to the security station. He didn't want comfort now; he wanted something more tangible, more satisfying. He wanted revenge.

His blue eyes hardened at the thought, narrowing as he stared at the floor. Yes, there would be revenge for what they had done to Yugi. There was nothing that could escape the fury of a Time Lord, and the Pharaoh wanted to make sure that exactly that would happen. The satellite would be shut down for a second time, and this time for good. He would fix the mistake he had made one hundred years before. If only Yugi hadn't had to pay for his mistake.

The Pharaoh closed his eyes for a moment, allowing himself to be shoved into a holding room, aware that Duke crashed into him for a moment. He shoved the Time Agent aside, catching Lynda only because she was the next to come through the door. He released her and continued to walk towards the door, staring at the security guard that stood in his way.

With little care, he grabbed the man by the collar and shoved him backwards, the man nearly thrown into a wall. The Pharaoh stepped out of the holding area, moving to one side as Duke charged out, the Time Agent slamming into the next man and taking him down to the floor. The Pharaoh watched with little interest, catching the third man and sending him slamming into the nearby wall.

His eyes fell on the table where they had taken Duke's weapon, picking it up and carefully testing the weight before shifting it into a comfortable position and walking out of the holding area. He didn't care if anyone followed him, he would settle this by himself. But it would say a lot about the loyalty of the people that he kept around him. Almost immediately, he heard Duke catch up with him, Lynda a few seconds behind.

The Pharaoh turned, spotting an elevator and heading towards it. He stared at the box for a moment, mentally laying out the structure of the satellite. The command center would probably be on the five hundredth floor, it was already set up for it and some of the reporters might have let slip what had gone on up there. He keyed in the floor number, scowling as the elevator didn't move.

They had left in the code. Unfortunately, he remembered it from last time. This type of system would only have one code to go to the top floor. The Pharaoh shifted the gun and leaned over to type in the eight numbers into the keypad.

32754263

The elevator lurched into motion, the Pharaoh bracing himself and swinging the gun back to the front, staring at the doors as he readied himself for whatever was up there. He was fully aware that he could be charging right into a trap, but he didn't care any longer. All that mattered was striking back against the people who had caused him to lose his second chance.

He tensed a moment before the doors opened, all his senses working on overdrive as he watched the doors open. He strode out into the room, aware that Duke was bellowing orders. He let the Time Agent do as he pleased, heading for the front of the room where a young woman dangled from wires.

"Alright everybody, hands on your heads and move towards the front of the room. GO!" The Pharaoh stopped walking long enough for the personnel to move to the front of the room, still walking towards them before looking at the young woman. He frowned at the wires that were attached to her.

"Is there a way to reverse the disintegration process on this station?" The woman kept muttering numbers, reading from an invisible screen. The Pharaoh growled to himself. "Tell me now!"

"She can't hear you." He glared at the male programmer that had come up to his side, watching the man tremble under his gaze. The Time Lord turned back to the woman.

"Why not?"

"Because you're not a member of staff." The male shifted nervously. "But recently she hasn't even been recognizing us."

"Archive Six is out of bounds!" The woman suddenly screeched out the words, the Pharaoh looking over his shoulder to see Duke standing at a door, the former Time Agent shaking his head and shooting the control panel of the door, slipping in the open door. The Pharaoh turned back to the woman, shifting the gun again, aware of how out of place that it felt again. Even in the Time War he had been slightly reluctant to carry a gun. Before, he had always been a pacifist.

He was about to ask something else when the lights dimmed, the male programmer wincing and ducking. "Solar flare. The Station will be out for a while."

"Pharaoh? Where's the Pharaoh?" The Time Lord stared up at the human before tossing the gun to the side, barely noticing that the male programmer caught it.

"Here."

"Can't see. Blind. So blind. All my life, blind. All I can see is numbers. But I saw you. Solar flares hiding me. They can't hear me, my masters listen but they can't hear me now. The sun, the sun is so bright."

The Pharaoh raised an eyebrow at the mention of masters, tipping his head slightly to one side. "And these masters are…"

"The word is in my head the name is forbidden." The Pharaoh let out a low curse, the woman continuing as if she hadn't heard him. "They control my thoughts. My masters, I had to be careful. They monitor transmission but they don't watch the programs. I could hide you inside the games. I knew that you would find me."

He glared at her. "Yugi died in those games."

"Doesn't matter."

"Don't you dare tell me that!" The Pharaoh bellowed the words at her, pulling himself up to his full height. This woman knew _nothing_ about how important Yugi was.

"They've been hiding. My masters, hiding in the dark space. Watching and shaping the Earth. So, so, so many years. Always been there, guiding humanity. Hundreds and hundreds of years."

"Who are they?" It would do no good to continue on with his tirade about Yugi, the woman was obviously just relaying information as fast as she could. With the limited time, he should be thankful, but he was still smarting over the Yugi comment.

"They wait and plan and grow in numbers, they're strong now, so strong, my masters. They speak of you. My masters, they fear the Pharaoh."

Fear? "Who are they?"

The woman tensed before going back to her previous state, the Pharaoh cursing again as he realized that the solar flare had passed. He spun around, intending to demand that the programmers tell him what was going on when Duke ran out of the archive room, a smile on his face. "I found the TARDIS."

"Well, that's one less thing to look for."

"But there's something else. The TARDIS worked it out." The Pharaoh stared at Duke, watching as the former Time Agent scurried over to one of the stations. "Lynda, stand over there please."

"But I-"

"Over there. It won't take a second." The young woman reluctantly moved over to the spot that Duke indicated, standing nervously as the former Time Agent worked with the display. A few seconds later, the disintegrator beam consumed Lynda, the Pharaoh only raising an eyebrow.

"You have proved nothing. I knew that happened before."

"That's not all." Duke was back at work, hurrying through his typing before hitting the last button with a final flourish, smirking as Lynda was transmatted back into the room, the blonde girl a little unsteady on her feet.

The Pharaoh stared at Lynda before looking at Duke, the former Time Agent coming around the console, explaining. "It's a secondary trasmat, not a disintegration beam. It just takes them out to some point in space. It means that Yugi is still alive!"

The joy of knowing that was quickly smothered by another thought, the Pharaoh quickly spinning around to face the young woman who was hung up by wires, watching her carefully and considering his question. "We need to know where the transmat goes to."

Duke sighed, the Pharaoh hearing the sound as he watched the woman. "I'm working on that now, but it will take time."

"Time is something that we might have precious little of." He thought he saw the woman stir a bit, her mumbling stumbling over a number. The Pharaoh raised an eyebrow and waited, ready to turn around when the woman spoke again.

"I have the coordinates." The Pharaoh motioned for Duke to begin recording them as the woman rattled them off. "51, 49,37,56. No, my masters, you shall not stop me this time, I bring your doom! 53,49,69, 36."

She managed to get the last number out before she was suddenly transmatted out of the station, her scream still echoing around the room.

The Pharaoh took a moment to nod his head to her in thanks, knowing that she was going to pay for having helped them. He turned around, walking over to where Duke was, looking at where the coordinates had brought them. His hearts sunk a little at the sight; it was just empty space. He sighed, leaning heavily on the console and staring at the empty space, frowning.

All his instincts were telling him that there was something there. He tapped his fingers against the metal console before lunging forward, typing in something and then pulling away as the image flickered. Hopefully, cancelling all broadcasts from the station would show something. If not, then ratings would drop, which wasn't his problem.

The image gave one last flicker before revealing the same space, only this time it was filled with circular ships, the Pharaoh staring at the huge mass of them in horrified awe. He never thought that he would see that sight again, something that he never wanted to see again. He stepped back from the image on the screen, looking over as the large area behind where the woman had hung flickered to life, the Pharaoh staring at the three domed, bronze aliens that stared up at him with their single eyestalk. His eyes lingered over them for a moment before moving to the familiar human beside them, fighting the smile that wanted to cross his face.

"Damn it, Yugi-"

"I know. No wandering off."

"Cease. This. Talk-ing." One of the Daleks wiggled a bit, moving closer to Yugi. "You. Will. Leave. Or the. Hu-man. Dies."

The Pharaoh stared at the three Daleks there. He could always promise to leave, let the Daleks do as they willed with the Earth and flee with Yugi to the farthest points of the universe. But he knew the Daleks. He knew that they wouldn't be happy with just one planet, they would want more. They would want the whole universe to become like them.

If he just left, he would be staring another Time War.

"No."

"What. Is the. Mean-ing. Of this. Neg-a-tive?"

"It means," the Pharaoh stood up, "that I am going to get my companion out of there and then destroy all of you."

"You. Can. Not."

The Pharaoh laughed, leaning forward so that his hand rested on the switch that would cut off communications with the Dalek ship. "Watch me."

He flicked the switch.

_   
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* * *

_  
_

_Many thanks to Reena for translating the phrase Dark Game into Swedish for the title of this chapter._

_Please read and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome._


	39. The Parting of Ways

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Parting of Ways**

**Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Parting of Ways**

"_Rose, you are worth fighting for. I wish I'd never met you, Doctor. I was much better off as a coward. See you in hell."_

_-Jack Harkness_

Yugi blinked and groaned as he hit the floor, shifting so that he could stand up. He shook his head, trying to make the ringing in his ears go away. The last thing he had remembered was rushing towards the Pharaoh and then being hit be the disintegrator beam, which probably wasn't what that beam was, considering that he was still alive.

The young man groaned and pushed himself off the ground, using the closest wall to hold himself up. His hands slid over the cool metal, Yugi frowning as he ran over even lumps in the metal, looking up. The design reminded him of something familiar…

His attention was distracted from that as he looked at the pods that surrounded him, leaning closer to their murky surface to see what was inside them. He got a glimpse of a face before he quickly scrambled backwards.

There were people inside those pods.

"EXTERMINATE!" Yugi spun around at the familiar battle cry, hearing the laser go off down the hallway. He stepped backwards, whimpering as he was pressed up against the wall, glancing backwards at what he had run into before he looked away, preparing to run. But even then it was too late; the Daleks were already rolling around the corner.

He tensed, pressing himself further against the wall, hoping that they would miss him. But that was a false hope, Yugi sucking in a breath as the Daleks turned to look at him, one trundling over. A flick of one of their lasers brought him away from the wall, Yugi slumping as he stood in front of them. At any moment, he would be exterminated.

But that never happened. The Daleks looked at him before one rolled behind him, Yugi arching his back as he felt the cold metal of the laser against his back. He glanced slowly over his shoulder, flinching when the Dalek spoke. "Walk."

He obeyed without a second thought. They hadn't killed him. That was important.

It was stupid to assume that these Daleks were like the one that he had met in America. That one had been changing, more susceptible to his suggestions because it believed it was the last one of its kind. But these were Daleks who had back up. Yugi looked ahead at the large room that he was moving towards, his stomach dropping. They had lots of back up. He stepped out of the corridor into the huge main room, watching the flights of Daleks move above him. He was not sure he could even begin to count them.

Yugi was distracted as a screen flickered to life in front of him, the Dalek behind him making sure to keep its laser pointed at him. He stared at the hovering screen, wondering what was going on.

He almost let out a relieved laugh when the Pharaoh showed up, Yugi relaxing at the sight of the familiar blue eyes. "Damn it, Yugi-"

"I know." He managed a smile. "No wandering off."

"Cease. This. Talk-ing." He glanced at the Dalek that moved closer to him. "You. Will. Leave. Or the. Hu-man. Dies."

The Pharaoh stared at the three Daleks there, Yugi almost ready to disobey the order and tell the Pharaoh to ignore the Daleks. He could see the indecision for a split second, enough to know that the Pharaoh was seriously considering their proposal. But it wouldn't matter; they would destroy the universe anyway. And he wanted to protect that universe. Yugi shifted, turning to glare at the screen when the Pharaoh finally spoke.

"No."

"What. Is the. Mean-ing. Of this. Neg-a-tive?"

"It means," the Pharaoh stood up, "that I am going to get my companion out of there and then destroy all of you."

"You. Can. Not."

Yugi watched the Pharaoh leaned forward, laughing as he glared at the Daleks. "Watch me."

The screen went blank, Yugi looking over his shoulder to stare at the Daleks that surrounded him. They were all still, the stillness making Yugi worry. The Pharaoh had just refused to do as they had ordered, so he should have been dead by now. But they were hesitating, all of them. He watched one Dalek wiggle a bit, the move looking like one of fear.

But Daleks didn't fear…they didn't _feel._

Yugi wanted to back away from the Daleks, suddenly unsure of what he had gotten himself into. They weren't like the last one he had seen in America, but they weren't like how the Pharaoh had described them before either. The Pharaoh had made it sound like they were emotionless creatures, only out to destroy. Yugi could see that urge to destroy still, but it was the hints of emotions that he caught which scared him. The Daleks had become something that he couldn't predict.

"TAR-DIS. De-tect-ed. Ap-proach-ing. Quick-ly."

The Daleks seemed to be jolted into action by the report, one turning to Yugi as the others quickly went about their business. The young man glanced down at the laser before looking back up at the eyestalk, swallowing and preparing himself for what would come next. As much as he hated the idea, at least he had lived a fun life.

"You. Are. The Pha-raoh's. Com-pan-ion. You. Will. Pre-dict. His. Act-ions!"

Yugi licked his lips before shaking his head, a smile crossing his face. They still needed him, so there was a chance that he could get himself out of this. It would simply be a matter of somehow getting back to the Pharaoh or managing to contact the Time Lord, both of which he could figure out how to do. "No."

"Pre-dict!"

"I said no!" Yugi took a step away from the Dalek, surprised when the metal alien backed away, returning to its comrades in trying to figure out what the Pharaoh was going to do. Another Dalek trundled over him, an exchange of a guard on him. Yugi frowned at that and looked over at the corridor that he had escorted down. There had to be a way to slip past the Dalek.

They probably still needed him, so they would hesitate from killing him, but Yugi didn't want to test that theory. He sighed and ran a hand over his face, tensing when the Dalek twitched. He looked up, noticing that some of the eyestalks that had been turned his way suddenly turned back. So he was stuck among a bunch nervous Daleks, not knowing when his usefulness would disappear. Yugi rolled his eyes; there were worse places to be.

"TAR-DIS. With-in. Range." The Daleks looked at each other before another spoke. "Launch. Mis-siles."

"What?" Yugi tried to lunge forward, stopped by the Dalek that was guarding him. He took a step back, looking around for a way to see what was going on outside the ship.

"Re-main. Still." Yugi glared at his guard before doing as ordered, looking around at all the Daleks that were moving around in an almost frantic fashion. A smile crossed his face at that, feeling good that he was part of the team that could make the Daleks tremble and fear.

"Threat. Nu-trialized." Yugi's head jerked up at that, staring at the Dalek who had spoken before looking towards the outside of the ship. That just wasn't possible and he wouldn't believe it. He stood up straight as the Daleks turned to look at them, trying to put as much resolve into his eyes, hoping the Daleks would back down. The Pharaoh was still coming for him.

* * *

He gave a low curse as he pulled the TARDIS out of the time vortex, glancing over at Duke as he dodged to the other side of the console, hitting a button there before rushing back to the other side to keep the TARDIS on a straight course. The former Time Agent looked up, keeping out of the Pharaoh's way. He gave the Pharaoh a nod. "Extrapolator is running. We have shielding."

"Good." The Pharaoh reached around for the view screen, staring at it as the Dalek fleet came into view, thousands of ship carrying over a million Daleks in total. Just mentally calculating that number made the Pharaoh tense, his hands gripping the console tightly. He thought that it had been all over, but this…this just made him ready to destroy the Daleks again.

He reached over and threw a lever, glancing at Duke as the Time Agent rushed for the gun that he had brought along. The Pharaoh nodded, bracing himself by the console, continuing to make minute adjustments as he brought the TARDIS into the Dalek spaceship, materializing around Yugi to keep him safe. He raised an eyebrow as the faint shapes of Yugi and a Dalek appeared, gesturing at Duke to come around the other side of the console.

"Yugi, duck." His companion was still slightly insubstantial when he moved, the Pharaoh easily compensating for that move as Duke stepped around the console, shooting the Dalek as soon as it fully materialized.

The Pharaoh strode over to where Yugi was on the floor of the TARDIS, giving the Dalek a single glance before walking out of the doors, narrowing his eyes as the Daleks that were waiting for him all began firing. "EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!"

He watched as the beams bounced off of the shielding, turning to glance back as Duke and Yugi walked from the TARDIS, noticing that the young man flinched back before he realized that the beams wouldn't reach them. The Pharaoh gave them a nod before turning back to the Daleks with a glare. "Stop."

He walked along the edge of the shield, staring at the Daleks before shaking his head. "How did you survive the Time War? Answer me!"

"They. Sur-vived. Through. Me." A deep voice boomed from the center of the room, the Pharaoh turning to look at the source of the voice. His eyes widened at the huge construction that was there. The only recognizable Dalek thing about it was the huge domed head; the rest was just a construction around a small jar that held the mutated creature that was the Dalek.

The Time Lord blinked and began walking towards the huge creature, feeling Yugi press up against his side for a moment before edging slightly away. He was thankful for the quick moment of contact; it steadied him the face of the masses of Daleks. He hadn't seen a gathering of them on this scale since the Time War, and it was bringing up memories that he would have rather forgotten.

The Pharaoh shook his head, standing before the huge Dalek and looking up at him. "How? I destroyed all of your kind."

"We. Fell. Through. Time it-self. Tumbling. Through. Space." The mutant creature wiggled a bit in its jar, squirming so it was facing the Pharaoh completely. "We. Came. Here. Bro-ken but. Al-ive. I. Cre-ated a. New race. Of Da-leks. Out of. Hu-man mat-ter. Only one. In. A. Mill-ion. Cells. Were. Suit-able."

"But that means that they are wrong." Yugi smiled at his side, taking a step forward. The Pharaoh reached out to rest a hand on Yugi's shoulder, restraining his companion from walking any further out. "They aren't pure Dalek."

"Do. Not. Blas-pheme!" The Pharaoh looked over his shoulder as the Daleks started shouting out the phrase, about to order their silence again when he realized what the phrase implied. Daleks should have never had a concept of blasphemy; they didn't have a god or a sacred mission. They just thought that it was right for all the other races to be destroyed. But these Daleks weren't right, they were probably driven half insane because of what they were, bits of human molded into something that would resemble a Dalek. And they all knew it. So they were born hating the entire universe and hating themselves. All under the control of one Dalek that had survived the Time War, the Emperor of the Daleks. They were all insane.

The Pharaoh shook his head and took a step back; a retreat would be the smart thing to do. Any moment, the Daleks would decide that they had enough and would exterminate them. Besides, the Pharaoh still had to come up with a way to kill all of the Daleks. He growled to himself before turning around, walking toward the TARDIS with Yugi and Duke trailing after him, the former sticking close to his side. He shooed Yugi into the TARDIS first, waiting until Duke was inside before turning to glare back at the Emperor of the Daleks. "You're insane."

"Blas-phemy!" He ignored the lasers that were fired at him, walking into the TARDIS and slamming the door shut behind him. Thankfully, Duke and Yugi stayed away from him, leaving him to storm up to the console and send the TARDIS rushing back for Satellite 5.

It had been for nothing. All of his pain, all of his suffering, everything that he had lost had been for nothing. All because of one Dalek ship that had survived. The Pharaoh bit back a curse, instead pressing a button a bit harder than he had to. He would end this now, annihilate the remainder of the Daleks and end the Time War, because it had to end. It had to end or he would be running across the universe for the rest of his lives.

The Pharaoh pushed away from the console as the TARDIS landed, rushing back down the ramp to glance around at the depleted station, his mind rushing as he came up with a plan. The Daleks would come after him soon, and probably be set upon the Earth now that they were done with it, which meant that he had to stop them from reaching Earth as well, something that he wasn't quite sure that he could do at the same time. If only they had more people, but he vaguely remembered Duke ordering for the station to be evacuated. He had been more focused on getting Yugi back at that time.

The male programmer rushed up to him, wiping sweat from his forehead. "We evacuated as many people as we could, but there are still a few personnel and about one hundred people from the games on level zero."

"What about help from Earth?" Duke jogged over to the console at the front of the room as he asked the question, the Pharaoh pausing and listening to what was going on, mentally calculating what they had.

"They shut off all communications as soon as we stopped broadcasting."

"Those idiots!" Yugi blushed at his own outburst before waving the others on, going to stand with them.

"So, we're stuck up here?"

"That's fine." The Pharaoh didn't flinch as they all turned to look at him, merely raising an eyebrow. "It's easier to defend ourselves from up here."

He pushed away from the section of console he was leaning on beginning to walk towards the center of the room before pointing at people. "You, set the transmitters so the Daleks can't just transmat in here. Duke, set up the extrapolator to shield as much of the top of the station as you can, then put Lynda near a computer so she can monitor the Dalek's movement. Then, gather as many volunteers as you can and make sure that the Daleks will have a hard time getting up here."

Duke nodded and ran for the TARDIS, returning a few moments later with the extrapolator. He sat down at the console and began to set it up, the Pharaoh glancing around at the station before walking over to a panel and pulling it open, digging among the wires. "What's your plan, Pharaoh?"

He glanced back at Duke before examining the end of a wire. "They've left me with the makings of a Delta Wave. It'll kill anything in its way. Simple and it keeps the Daleks from getting to Earth. Now go!"

Duke nodded, pushing away from the extrapolator before rounding up the few remaining people at the top. "Listen, that thing only shields six levels, so we've got to make up six levels of traps. Come on."

The Pharaoh went to focus on his work, pausing as he noticed that Yugi was with that group. His hands fumbled on the wires for a moment before he pulled himself together. "Yugi, with me."

The young man looked between Duke and the rest of the group before jogging over to the Pharaoh, dropping to the floor and beginning to strip the wires that were handed to him. He felt Duke's gaze on him for a long moment before the former Time Agent hurried the others on with their orders.

He intended not to look up as Lynda came over, only doing so because he saw Yugi move, glancing at his companion before looking up at the young woman. Lynda had a bright smile on her face which faded a bit as he gave no reaction. She was probably hoping that he would call for her to stay instead of Yugi. She sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, thanks for getting me out of that game and…good luck."

Lynda gave him another bright smile before rushing off, the Pharaoh resisting the urge to roll his eyes. He was about to look back down at his work when he noticed the expression on Yugi's face, an expression like jealousy. The Pharaoh blinked in confusion, hiding his confusion when Duke walked over, kneeling beside Yugi and turning the young man's head towards him. "Look after that idiot for me."

"Alright, Duke." Yugi's eyes went wide the next minute as Duke pulled him into a kiss, the Pharaoh stiffening where he sat. Thankfully, the kiss was quick, Duke pulling back with a chuckle.

"Look after yourself kid." He turned to look at the Pharaoh, giving him a hard glare. "When we get out of this, you owe us drinks and a confession."

The Time Lord looked over at Yugi and gave a quick shake of his head. No matter what, he couldn't tell Yugi that. Duke sighed and stepped away from him, brushing himself off before throwing the Pharaoh a quick salute. "See you in hell."

The former Time Agent jogged off, the Pharaoh watching him go before turning his attention back to Yugi. He watched his companion work for a while before focusing on his own work. It was a relatively simple task to build the Delta Wave, at least for him. But the actual construction of the thing wasn't going to be a problem. The satellite would supply enough power for it to work, but it would do its job too well. He just didn't have time to do everything.

And there was one thing that was taking precedence in his mind at the moment, and it came in the form of the human sitting across from him. The Pharaoh could trick himself into thinking that he could keep Yugi here with him and use the extra hands to work faster, but they would still be pushing it. And there would be no time to save Yugi when the Delta Wave went off. So his best bet would be to act now.

The Pharaoh let the silence between the two roll on for a while before he looked up, taking a deep breath. He couldn't put this off any longer. He looked down at the wires that he had in his lap before rattling off a list of things for Yugi to get, a mixture of things that he would need and some useless objects. The Time Lord looked up, watching Yugi rush around before getting to his feet and brushing himself off, walking over to the console and checking the display that showed the Daleks. They would be arriving any minute.

It was time to go.

He turned around, making sure that he was in complete control of his expressions. Yugi was putting the last things in the pile, the Pharaoh motioning for Yugi to follow him into the TARDIS. The young man followed without a second thought, the Pharaoh suddenly wondering why Yugi trusted him this much. After all, he could just run away and leave everyone to their death, but Yugi trusted him to stay behind. The Pharaoh shook his head and pointed at two buttons on the console. "Hold these two down."

Yugi gave him a questioning look, the Pharaoh swallowing before speaking. "It'll begin the process of charging the wave."

"Like a jump start."

"Yes." It took all of his self control to not have his voice break over that one word. "Hold until I tell you to let go."

Yugi nodded, the Pharaoh walking out of the TARDIS and shutting the door behind him. He shivered; stroking the outside of the time machine and feeling the TARDIS give a mournful hum in his head. He smiled, stepping away. "Take care of him."

There was another hum from the TARDIS before the Pharaoh brought out his sonic screwdriver and pointed it at the time machine, swallowing again before turning the tool on, watching as the TARDIS began to disappear from sight.

He waited until the TARDIS had dematerialized completely before turning back to his Delta Wave, numbly fitting together the pieces while he tried to convince himself that it was for the best.

Everything that he loved ended up dead.

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_Please read and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome._


	40. Even Bad Wolves Can Be Good

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Author's Note: **The chapter title here is taken from the song Little Red Riding Hood by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs. I used it just as a nod to the actual series since they used Bad Wolf instead of Dark Game.

**Author's Note: **The chapter title here is taken from the song Little Red Riding Hood by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs. I used it just as a nod to the actual series since they used Bad Wolf instead of Dark Game.

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Chapter Thirty-Nine: Even Bad Wolves Can Be Good

"_Purify the Earth with fire. The planet will become my temple and we shall arise. This will be our paradise!"_

_-The Emperor of the Daleks_

Yugi yelped as the TARDIS began to rock, spreading his legs out to take a wider stance and keeping his fingers on the two buttons. He guessed that this might have been a side effect, up until the point that the TARDIS fell into her usual rocking that indicated travel. Then Yugi stared at the console before stumbling backwards, running towards the door. "No!"

He slammed into the doors, backing up the ramp before throwing himself against the door a few more times before leaning against it, panting for breath and rubbing his aching shoulder. Yugi weakly punched the door, his position too awkward for the motion to have any strength behind it. "Dang it, I can look after myself, you stupid alien! I can help!"

He knew it was useless, shouting at the door like this when there was no one on the other side, but it made him feel a bit better. Yugi growled and pushed away from the doors, rubbing his shoulder again as he stared at them. The Pharaoh should know better by now that he would not stand to be treated like this. He was perfectly capable of taking care of himself and he would face the consequences if he couldn't. He _understood_ what this life meant.

And it angered him more than he could express that he was being treated like a kid.

Yugi shook his head, leaning against the railing of the ramp and taking a deep breath, letting his anger run out. There had to be a way out of this, there always was a way out. Besides, the Pharaoh said that the TARDIS had always liked him; maybe he could get the time machine to turn around. The TARDIS would understand that they had to go back and save him.

His attention was caught by something flickering. Yugi turned slightly, his eyes widening as he saw a hologram flicker to life at the top of the ramp. It was the Pharaoh, Yugi sucking in a quick breath before edging up towards the hologram, wondering why this was happening now. He managed to get halfway to the hologram when the Pharaoh looked up, Yugi wanting to take a step back at the look in the Pharaoh's eyes.

The Time Lord always kept himself shut out from the rest of the world, for good reason. Apparently the Time War had left too many scars just to be simply healed over. And Yugi had respected that. But he had grown so used to the version of the Pharaoh that he saw, the version that restricted visible emotions to the bare minimum. This one, this one recorded version, was something else. Suddenly, he didn't know the Time Lord as well as he had thought.

The hologram looked at him with sorrowful eyes before beginning to speak. "This is Emergency Program One. Yugi, now listen, this is important. If this message has activated then it can only mean one thing: we are in fatal danger. I'm dead, or dying with no chance of escape."

Yugi glanced back at the doors, not aware that he was shaking his head in denial. This wasn't happening. It was just a nightmare. He wasn't being sent away when the Pharaoh need him. They were a team, damn it!

The hologram shifted, the Pharaoh looking down at the ground as he continued to speak. "I promised to look after you, and that's what I'm doing. The TARDIS is taking you home-"

"No!" Yugi shook his head, going to lunge for the console, stopping when the hologram continued speaking, part of him wanting to hear what the Pharaoh had to say.

"-and she can never return for me. Emergency Program One means I'm facing an enemy that should never get their hands on her. So I charge you with the care of the TARDIS and don't you dare do anything stupid to her." Yugi had to smile at that, biting his lip to keep from crying. This was the end of everything then, everything that he had come to love. He slumped against the railing, wrapping his arms around himself. And he would always feel like he had run away from the Pharaoh and Duke. He would live the rest of his life knowing that they had died and he had lived.

Yugi gave a short laugh, glancing up at the hologram, watching the Pharaoh shifted nervously. "You're making me like you, you crazy Time Lord."

"Yugi," he perked up as the Pharaoh glanced up again, still staring at the doors, "there is…one more thing."

The hologram opened his mouth to speak, seeming to decide not to at the last minute, shaking his head. Yugi sighed and went to move, inching up the ramp and stopping as the hologram turned his head to look at him, Yugi freezing at the look in the Pharaoh's eyes. "Have a great life, Yugi."

The hologram disappeared, leaving Yugi to stare at the space where it once had been, trembling. His legs gave out a moment later, Yugi falling to the ground, his fingers finding purchase on the grating. That was the last glimpse of the Pharaoh that he would ever get, a last good-bye to the man that he had fallen in love with.

He gave a shuddering sigh before standing up and running over to the console, warily circling it before growling. He had no idea how to fly the time machine. Yugi sighed and looked up at the TARDIS. "Please, please take me back. They need me."

The TARDIS gave a low grumble, Yugi leaning heavily on the console as he realized what that meant. The TARDIS wasn't going to listen to him; she would just act on the Pharaoh's orders. He shook his head, tears running down his cheeks. "No. You shouldn't have to lose him too. Please!"

There was no response from the time machine this time, but her silence spoke volumes. Yugi gave a sob and sank to the floor, clinging to the TARDIS. They were both stuck doing this, something that they both hated. He sniffed and gently patted the TARDIS. "I'm sorry."

He got a rumble just before the TARDIS jolted to a stop, Yugi sighing and leaning against the coral that made up the console before standing up. He stumbled towards the door, swinging it open before looking back at the TARDIS, suddenly realizing how lonely she looked without people inside. "I'll come back."

Yugi stepped out of the TARDIS, walking into the street and looking around, recognizing his apartment building right by the TARDIS. He shook his head, shutting the door of the time machine and giving her a final pet before trudging towards his apartment, pausing as his mother and Joey came rushing out of the building, both of them with huge smiles. He blinked and took a step back, Junri catching him in a hug and holding him close. "You're back."

"Yeah." His voice broke over the word before he wrapped his arms around his mother in a hug. "I'm back."

* * *

Duke stared at the group of people, rubbing his forehead as he listening to them settle down. He had already set up the traps on the six floors leading up to the floor that the Pharaoh was working on. All that was left was putting Lynda in place before checking in with the Pharaoh for the final time. That and gathering the volunteers that he would need.

He growled to himself, glaring at the people that milling on the floor below him. His hand strayed to his gun, Duke forcing himself to leave it. He would need all the bullets when the Daleks came. "Quiet!" The crowd fell silent, Duke glaring at all of them before nodding. "In a few minutes the station will come under attack. We need volunteers to defend it."

A few people began to shift forward, Duke sighing when he realized that it wouldn't be enough. The rest of these people were too cowardly to help him at all. The Time Agent rubbed his forehead as he jumped down from the platform, dejectedly motioning for the volunteers to follow him, herding them into the elevator. Automatically he divided them up into groups, leaning back as they got off at each level, riding past the level where he would station himself.

He and Lynda got out at the 499th floor; Duke taking the lead and nearly running to the observation platform. Lynda followed and a slower pace, looking really nervous. Duke glanced back at her before helping her over to the computer. "Sure you can do this?"

"Hope so." She bit her lip and shook her head, letting out a short laugh. "I would actually be happier with the Pharaoh, but I guess his friend knew a lot more about electronics than I do."

Duke found it impossible to return her smile. Yugi probably knew nothing about how to assemble the type of wave that the Pharaoh was making. The Time Lord had just pulled Yugi aside to keep the young man close to him and out of the way of most of the danger, something that Yugi would have protested if he saw through the plan. But Duke wouldn't argue with the Pharaoh, because he would have done the same.

He shook his head and pressed his hand to the pad, watching as the computer warmed up, guiding Lynda closer. "Alright, you're our eyes and ears here. I'll be able to hear you through this," he tapped the device on his wrist, "if you need anything."

Lynda nodded. "Okay."

"Now, the Daleks will have to enter on level 494 and they will probably head up, but we can't be sure. So keep in contact." He saw her nod again, Duke shouldering his gun and walking towards the exit, fiddling with the device on his wrist, preparing it for the work it would be doing.

"If," the first word was whispered so that Duke almost didn't hear it. He blinked and turned around to look at Lynda. "If I run into trouble, will you guys be able to get me out?"

"Probably not." It was a testament to her courage that Lynda didn't run at that moment, just giving a curt nod before turning back to her station, staring down at the computer. Duke sighed and walked from the room, sealing her in before switching channels on his device. "Lynda, can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear."

He smiled before switching channels again, knowing that the Pharaoh would have the channel open for communications. He tipped his head to the side, walking towards the elevator as he contacted the Pharaoh. He waited for a moment, smiling when he heard a low curse, knowing that he had found the right channel. "Hey, Pharaoh, could you get Yugi to read me off the codes for the doors?"

"Yugi isn't here. You'll have to get them yourself."

"Not…" Duke stopped, staring at the nearest wall before narrowing his eyes. "You sent him home."

There was no response from the other end, Duke sighing and rubbing his forehead. He had expected something like this, but he had hoped that the Pharaoh's need to get rid of the Daleks would have kept Yugi around for a little while longer. But at least he was safe. "Fine. How's the Delta Wave coming?"

"Tell. Them." Duke paused at the deep voice that doomed over the communications, realizing that the Emperor of the Daleks had opened a line of communication with the Pharaoh. "You. Can-not. Com-plete. The wave. Fully. Not. To. Save them."

"Pharaoh?"

There was silence on the other end for a while before Duke heard the Pharaoh sigh. "It's not going to be refined. It'll destroy everyone."

"Even the Earth."

"There are colonies, Duke. The humans still have someplace to go."

Duke stared at the device on his wrist before sighing. It was the best chance that they had, and that was the horrible part. With the sheer number of Daleks that would be entering the station to stop them, it would be impossible to kill them all. They were just there to buy the Pharaoh time, and he was fine with that. Duke swallowed before turning back to the device. "Yugi is safe. Finish that thing."

He abruptly cut off the communications, walking into the elevator before slumping against the wall. He managed a few calming breaths before Lynda spoke to him through the device. "They're coming."

"Thanks." He stood up, rushing through the doors before running behind the barricade that some of his volunteers had rigged. Duke nodded at two of the programmers that had stayed, noticing that they were having a hurried conversation in a corner. He turned away from them, forcing a smile on his face. "Alright, let's go."

* * *

Yugi stared at the blue box as he sat on the wall, aware that his mother hadn't let go of him. But that was partially his fault; he had insisted that they remain outside for a little while longer. Part of him didn't want to give up, not now. He was convinced that this was some kind of twisted dream but, at the same time, he knew that it was real.

His hand tightened around the TARDIS key that he held, refusing to let go as he listened to the chatter between Joey and his mother, knowing that they were trying to get him to talk with them. But it still felt like he was miles away. It had been too long since he had cared about mundane matters like these.

"You know, there's a new game store opening, Yugi. You could always work there."

"Yeah. It seems nice from what I've seen." Yugi swayed a bit as Joey nudged him, barely looking up at his best friend. "You could probably easily become manager. You won't ever have to actually talk to people anymore."

"You could go back to college. With both of us working, we could probably scrape together the money…as long as you and Miho don't decide to get married." Junri smiled at him, Yugi was sure of it. "You should probably call her and say that you're back in town, she would be happy to know that."

"She's called me a couple of times to ask about you."

"Me too."

Yugi sighed, both of them falling silent with the sound. He slipped off the wall and shook his head. "I'm not staying."

"What?" He heard his mother slide off the wall, feeling her arm drape over his shoulders. "You can't be serious!"

"I have to go back to help him. He's fighting in the future to make sure that we're safe."

"But that's why he sent you back, Yugi." Junri spun him around, Yugi meeting his mother's eyes without wavering. "He sent you back to be safe."

"But I can help! I'm not this useless weakling that everyone seems to think that I am!"

"We don't think that Yug'."

"I know you guys don't." Yugi ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head. "But the rest of the world, they look at me and think that they know how I will spend the rest of my life! I'll just work for the rest of my life, get married and have kids. I'll be a failure. I'll get my girlfriend pregnant before we're married. I'll become a drunk. But I don't intend to do any of those things! I want the chance to be _me_ without those restrictions. And I could do that out there!"

"You can do that just as well here, Yugi." His mother reached out to touch his shoulder, looking hurt when Yugi backed away from her. "You'll be safer here."

"I don't want to be _safe_. I just…I…ARGH!" Yugi turned in place for a moment before he began to pace. "I liked who I was out there. I was proud of myself."

"Yugi…"

"And it's not because of you guys. It's just, I felt like I had a point, to me. I wasn't existing to help anyone else. It was wonderful."

"You can do that here, can't you?"

"Yeah but…they're my friends, mom. I can't just leave them there."

Joey stared at the TARDIS for a while before sliding off the wall, the departure of the blonde drawing Yugi's attention to the marks on the wall that his legs had been covering. Confused, Yugi walked closer to them as Joey spoke. "Well, unless you can fly this thing, then we can't do anything. Yug'?"

He almost didn't hear his friend speak, staring at the two words that had been scratched into the wall, his heart speeding up as he saw them. Dark Game.

Yugi shivered and stood up straight, blinking as he saw the same two words written in chalk on the other side of the wall. He gave a confused hum before hopping over the wall, walking over to where dark game was written on the ground in huge letters, slowly looking up and turning in place, his eyes easily picking out those same two words written on every available surface in the small square yard. He blinked and turned to look at the TARDIS before glancing at the words and giving a nod.

There was only one way these words could be here, in the past and in the future. It was a message from the TARDIS that he could get back to the satellite. He vaulted over the wall, running for the TARDIS and flinging the doors open, staring at the central column with a huge smile. Yugi reached out to touch the console, running his hand along the outside edge until he was resting over the panel that covered the heart of the TARDIS. He smiled to himself and gave the panel a tap. "I know how we can save him."

"Yugi?"

He turned around to look at Joey and his mother, the smile still on his face. "I'm going back."

"What?"

"Yug'…"

"I need to do this." Yugi gestured towards the small court. "I've got proof. I can go back and come back safe. I promise. Just help me with this."

"Yugi," Junri shook her head, "I can't. I don't want you to go back there."

"Mom?"

"I can't live knowing that my only son is getting himself into dangerous situations. I can't."

"It's not your choice."

"I'm your _mother_, Yugi! You can't expect me to let you do something this dangerous. This is not worth your life."

"It was worth Grandpa's."

"What?" Yugi kept eye contact with her, watching his mother sway in place. He hated pulling out that card to use against her, but it was the only thing that he could think of to get her to let him go.

"I went back to see Grandpa." Yugi shrugged, a smile on his face. "I met him and talked to him and he…he gave up his life when I messed up so that I could _continue_ to do this. I was there to hold his hand when he died, Mom!"

"No…but, there was…" Yugi turned around, listening to her pause for a moment before walking out of the TARDIS. He nodded to himself, listening as Joey walked up the ramp towards him.

"So, what do you need me to do?"

"Get something that we can pull this open with." Joey threw him a playful salute before rushing out, leaving Yugi to lean against the console, trying to curb his impatience. He could always travel back in time, but he still had the bad feeling that the Pharaoh and Duke were dying, right at that moment. He bit his lip, tipping his head back to look at the ceiling. It would be alright, he would be able to save them and then he would come home so that his mother could see that she was wrong.

He could only stay still for a few minutes before he moved to the panel again, pulling on the panel, grunting with the effort. He knew that it was an impossible task, but he couldn't bring himself just to do nothing and Joey was taking too long. It wouldn't be that hard for the blonde to find someone who owned a truck and owed him a favor. Yugi gave up his struggling with the panel, pacing around the console as he waited.

Two hours passed before he heard the sound of an engine, Yugi blinking before rushing to the doors, his mouth dropping at the huge truck that drove up, looking to the side to see Joey smiling. He was sure that his jaw dropped to the ground when his mother stepped out of the truck, grinning at him.

"What…"

"I can't have you moping around, Yugi. I might not like it, but at least you haven't become like they expect you to." She walked up and hugged him. "Just promise me that you'll try to visit more often."

"I…" Yugi wrapped his arms around his mother. "Thank you, thank you so much."

They pulled away, Yugi walking out to grab the chain before rushing back in and attaching it to the console. He gave the TARDIS an apologetic pat before glancing toward the door, watching as Junri stationed herself there, giving a wave to Joey to start the truck.

Slowly the truck rolled forward, the slack in the chain disappearing. Yugi kept waving, keeping a careful eye on the panel. His heart began to beat faster as he saw it start to rise, it was actually working. He glanced up at his mother with a smile, motioning for Joey to keep going.

As the panel began to rise by inches, a bit of golden light began to leak through, Yugi blinking at the wisps that leaked out. He shook his head, shouting out to the two helping him. "Almost there!"

He heard his cry be echoed down the line, tensing as he saw the handle that he had attached the chain to beginning to give, taking a cautious step back the moment that the handle snapped, his hand moving in a signal to halt. Yugi moved out of the way of the whipping chain, his attention drawn to the now open panel. Suddenly forgetting about the chain, Yugi turned to look at the light, his mouth falling open in wonder at what he saw.

So many things, moving at speeds that he couldn't comprehend, couldn't sort them out. But something else attracted his attention, something that managed to ask him his intention without having to speak any words. He swallowed, taking a step closer, unable to look away from the bright golden light. He wanted to save his Pharaoh, with every fiber of his being. The thing seemed to comprehend this before agreeing, the light suddenly getting brighter.

Yugi felt his body jerk, suddenly standing upright as he stared into the light, but that wasn't his concern, he was too busy giving the ancient soundless voice all the information that he could remember about where he had left his Pharaoh. He urged the ancient voice to work as fast as it could, that they needed to save his Pharaoh. He thought he heard his mother shout before the doors slammed shut, Yugi sensing the determination in the voice.

They were going to save his Pharaoh, and there would be nothing in this universe that would be able to stop them. Nothing could hold them back, not when they were enraged like this.

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Next chapter is the last one folks, I hope you've enjoyed the ride.

_Please read and review, constructive criticism is welcome._


	41. YuGiOh

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Author's Note:** I want to thank all of you for your reviews and your attention through this epic of a fanfiction. I'm glad that you guys enjoyed it and were able to understand it even if you hadn't seen the show which meant that I was doing something right. Thank you again and I will let you know here that there will be a sequel. As of now I am still working on it so there will probably be another fic not associated with this series coming out after this one, but the sequel will be coming.

**Author's Note:** I want to thank all of you for your reviews and your attention through this epic of a fanfiction. I'm glad that you guys enjoyed it and were able to understand it even if you hadn't seen the show which meant that I was doing something right. Thank you again and I will let you know here that there will be a sequel. As of now I am still working on it so there will probably be another fic not associated with this series coming out after this one, but the sequel will be coming.

**Warning: **Character death

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Chapter Forty: Yu-Gi-Oh

"_You were fantastic! Absolutely fantastic. And you know what? So was I."_

_-The Doctor_

Duke heard the last scream, leaning forward to glare at the doorway. The Daleks had shut down the security systems, meaning that they only had to rely on their guns, something that wasn't guaranteed to work. He glanced down at his wrist device, resisting the temptation to call up the Pharaoh again, knowing that the Time Lord was busy with something else.

"Duke…" He glanced at the device, recognizing Lynda's voice.

"Yeah?"

"They've split up. Some of them are going down to level zero and some are heading towards you." He heard her whimper, prepared to comfort her when he heard the commotion from outside the closed door.

"You are the weakest link. Good-bye." He smiled a bit at the irony and his own intelligence before turning back to his wrist device. "It's alright, Lynda."

"Duke, they've started to attack Earth. Australia and Japan are gone." He heard her squeak in fear, faintly hearing Daleks speaking in the background.

"Don't worry; it'll take them a long time to get through that door."

He heard her laugh. "Yeah, but you know what they say about Earth workmanship. You doing alright?"

Duke was about to reply when he heard a blast go off behind the door, looking up to see Daleks beginning to trundle in. He growled and looking at his small team, cursing the people who had remained on level zero. "Concentrate your fire on the eyestalk!"

The people nodded, opening fire on the Daleks as they rolled across the room, one man letting out a cheer as he made one of the Daleks blind, his celebration cut short as he was hit by one of their lasers. Duke swallowed and concentrated on hitting the eyestalk, trying not to wince as parts of his team were picked off, one at a time.

He heard Lynda speaking again, tipping his head slightly to hear her as he continued to fire, left with the two programmers. "On level zero…they killed them all…all the people…"

"Stay focused Lynda."

"Oh God…Duke, they're outside." He paused at that, staring at the device on his wrist before looking up at the advancing Daleks, watching as the female programmer was exterminated, the male one following after as he stood up to avenge his friend's death. Duke let out a curse and gathered up his weapons, running away from the barricade towards the corridors. He spun around to face the Daleks, beginning to back away as he aimed for where they would appear, listening as Lynda continued to talk. "I'm trapped. They're at the door and they're outside. What do I do?"

"Keep calm, Lynda. I'm headed your way."

"Alright. Al…" He heard her trail off, Duke blinking and looking down at his communicator, about to ask her what was going on when he heard the sound of glass shattering and a cut off scream.

He cursed and changed the channel on the communicator, quickly bringing his hand up to cock the gun and being firing as he shouted. "Last man standing, Pharaoh! Finish that thing!"

"Fin-ish. That. Thing. And Kill. Them. All." Duke cursed at the sound of the Emperor of the Dalek's voice, turning his attention to the Daleks that were advancing on them, partially worried by the fact that they weren't firing their weapons at him. He growled as the gun he had stopped working, grabbing his second weapon and firing as he continued to back down the corridor.

He only got three shots before it jammed.

The third gun was drawn, a pistol, as the second was tossed carelessly at the Daleks. Duke concentrated on the foremost Dalek, using his six shots on the Dalek's eyestalk before it ran out, the Dalek still intact. Duke let out a curse and threw the pistol to the side, staring at the three Daleks that could fit in this part of the corridor. "What now?"

"EXTERMINATE!"

Duke nodded to himself, sighing as he threw his arms out to the side. "Thought so."

He heard the beam fire, just before the pain flared through his body. And then there was nothing. Nothing but darkness.

* * *

The Pharaoh jammed the last wire into place, hastily securing it before standing up with a smile. He had managed to complete the Delta Wave in time. It was fully operational and fully charged at the same exact time. He flicked the switch to arm the weapon, turning to speak to Duke, knowing that the Time Agent was in a tight spot. "Duke-"

"EXTERMINATE!"

"Thought so." Then there was the sound of a body hitting a wall, the Pharaoh freezing as he realized what had happened.

He was the only one left alive on the satellite, trapped in this room. He stood up straight, his hearts beating faster as the Daleks began to roll in, glancing up at the screen as the Emperor of the Daleks came onto it, chortling to itself. The Pharaoh looked around, felling his stomach sink as he was surrounded. This was too close to some of his encounters in the war, his hand straying to where his weapon would have been. But there wasn't anything there anymore. There was only the Delta Wave.

And it didn't matter that he hadn't had the time to set it up properly. There was no one left. And he was almost sure that he didn't want to survive this. He didn't think he would survive knowing that he had missed another pocket of Daleks.

He reached for the button that would activate it, shoving away his fears and staring at the Emperor of the Daleks. "One more move and I release the Delta Wave."

"Then. You. Will be. Des-troyed. As well."

The Pharaoh smirked. "You say that like I care."

"But. You will. Kill. Them." The Pharaoh hesitated, cursing himself for that move, because the Emperor of the Daleks noticed. "You. Would. Des-troy. The. Hu-mans? And. You. Call. Us. Mon-sters. The. War. Be-gins. A-gian."

He tried not to tremble at those words, hating that they came from a Dalek. He had worked so hard to end the war. And he would not allow a second Time War to begin after this. The Pharaoh closed his eyes and sighed, hearing the Emperor of the Daleks laugh at it took the motion as surrender. But surrender was the last thing on the Pharaoh's mind. He was just calming himself, taking a moment before finishing the thing that he had started.

He only had one regret; that he wouldn't be able to see Yugi again.

He opened his eyes and reached for the button, stopping again as he heard a familiar sound. The Pharaoh turned, his mouth falling open as he recognized the sound of the TARDIS engines as the time machine materialized, feeling the wind from the action whipping around him.

"Alert. Alert. It. Is. The TAR-DIS." The Pharaoh spun around, forgetting all about the Delta Wave as the blue box appeared in the room, his hearts pounding faster.

It was impossible. He had sent it back to Earth with Yugi, back to the one place where he would be safe. There was no way that Yugi could override the protocol that he had set up. His companion should be safe on Earth with the TARDIS.

The doors of the time machine opened, the Pharaoh taking a step back, tripping over wiring and sliding to the ground as golden light appeared out of the TARDIS, the light completely obscuring the view of the interior. He thought he saw a shadow move, but wasn't sure, raising an arm to shield his eyes from the glow.

Almost lazily, tendrils of light drifted out of the TARDIS, coalescing into one shape a few steps in front of the TARDIS, a familiar human walking out of the light. The Pharaoh scrambled backwards a bit as he recognized the human, vaguely hearing the triggering mechanism of the Delta Wave fall over as he stared at Yugi.

For a moment, the young man looked over the room, seeming to take in the Daleks and everything else around him before looking down at the Pharaoh, the Time Lord finding himself staring into golden eyes. He bit back a gasp, fighting the urge to scramble backwards.

He had been afraid before in his travels and fighting in the war. But never as much as he had been now.

"Yugi, what did you do?"

Yugi turned to look at him, his head tipping to one side so some of his blonde bangs fell across his eyes, almost covering their golden glow. He studied the Pharaoh for a moment before speaking, a deep rumble underneath his normal speaking voice. "I looked into the TARDIS and the TARDIS looked into me."

The Pharaoh mouthed the words that Yugi spoke, his eyes widening as he realized what they meant. But that was impossible, but that hadn't stopped Yugi. He sat up, reaching for Yugi even as his companion moved away from him. "You looked into the time vortex! Damn it, Yugi, you're not supposed to see that!"

"This. Is the. A-bom-ina-tion!" The Pharaoh turned his head to look at the Emperor of the Daleks, his mouth dropping slightly open.

The Daleks, with their twisted sense of what was right, would take this as an order; an order from their god, their creator. As they were abominations, they would destroy this one. The Pharaoh tried to get up, cursing as he realized that his foot was tangled in the wire, reaching down to undo it when he heard the death sentence. "EXTERMINATE!"

"No!" The Pharaoh could only watch as the beam headed towards Yugi, his eyes widening as Yugi just slowly looked up, flinging his hand out to stop the beam. The gold around him flared, his eyes becoming nothing but gold as he blocked the beam, the attack being easily turned back to the Dalek. He thought he saw Yugi smile as the young man let his arm drop back to his side.

"I am the Dark Game. I create myself." His eyes flicked up to the name of the station, a true smile crossing his face as he raised his arm again, the golden light moving from his irises to his entire eyes as he moved his arm, the letters of the name of the station rising from where they were and disappearing. "I take the words, I scatter them in time and space. A message to lead myself here."

"Yugi, stop!" The Pharaoh stared up as his companion, watching the glow fade back to a normal level. "You've got the entire vortex running through your head. You're going to burn!"

Yugi's eyes flickered back to normal, the gold disappearing from them. "I want you safe. My Pharaoh, protected forever."

"You. Can-not. Hurt me. I. Am. Im-mortal!"

Yugi looked up, the golden glow back. He glared at the Emperor of the Daleks, the expression not sitting well on his face. Yugi gave a short laugh, shaking his head. "You are tiny. I can see the whole of time and space, every single atom of your existence and I divide them."

His hand moved up again, the Pharaoh having to cover his eyes from the glow that came from his companion. He heard screaming from the Emperor of the Daleks, its words lost as Yugi continued to speak, slowly spreading out his arms. "Everything must come to dust, all things."

Around the two of them, the Daleks shimmered with the same golden light, suddenly dissolving with the light. The Pharaoh felt his mouth drop open as the Daleks screamed, unable to comprehend how easily his greatest enemies were defeated. The light swirled around them, dissolving them into piles of light grey dust on the floor, motes of the golden light pulling themselves out from the dust. The Pharaoh turned to look at Yugi, watching as his companion stared out in front of him with a dazed look, his hands dropping back to his sides.

"Everything dies." His last words were spoken as a sigh. "The Time War ends."

"Yugi, stop it, now!" The Pharaoh nearly ripped the wire from around his foot, looking up at Yugi as he companion seemed to bathe in the glow of the light, his head titled back with an expression of ecstasy. For a moment, he was almost tempted to leave Yugi this way, glorying in the image of his companion. Yugi was beautiful like this.

He shook his head, slowly standing up, pausing when he heard Yugi laugh, the sound drifting across the room. "How can I let go of this? I bring life."

The Pharaoh saw some of Yugi's fingers twitch, but nothing else happened. He hesitated for a moment before standing up fully, reaching for his companion but drawing back as he stared at the glow. "You can't control life and death!"

"But I can!" Yugi's head snapped back up to look at him, the young man staring at the Pharaoh for a long while, looking like he was about to speak. Then, suddenly, Yugi slumped forward, resting a hand against his forehead as his breathing sped up. "But why does it hurt?"

"It's killing you…" The Pharaoh found himself whispering the words. He had sent Yugi away to keep him safe, and he had still managed to kill his companion. Yugi was burning up from the inside; burning like Gallifrey had. And it had been his fault. His hands trembled before he clenched them into fists, looking away from Yugi.

"My head…" He flinched with the whimpered words, trying his hardest not to look at the young man. "…it's killing me."

The Pharaoh let out a long sigh, looking up at Yugi. It was only a fair trade, Yugi had risked his life for him, the Pharaoh could spare one of his lives to keep Yugi alive. But he shouldn't think of it as an obligation. In fact, that was the farthest thing from his mind at the moment. He was doing this because he honestly loved his companion.

The universe could survive without him, but he never wanted to live in a world where Yugi wasn't.

"Come here." Yugi looked at him in confusion, the Pharaoh managing a smile as he rested his hands on Yugi's shoulders, tipping the young man's head up. He looked over Yugi's upturned face before leaning down to kiss him, his eyes falling shut as he gently moved his lips over Yugi's, slightly surprised when Yugi responded to the kiss. A moan escaped him before he could stifle it, regretting the fact that he couldn't just enjoy the kiss; it always had the sensation of burning.

The Pharaoh pulled away reluctantly, staring down at Yugi. Slowly, the gold drained from Yugi's irises, the young man looking at him with his violet eyes before they rolled back, Yugi fainting into the Pharaoh's arms. The Time Lord caught his companion, cradling him close for a moment before setting him down on the floor. He stared at Yugi for a moment, allowing his weakness to take over as he brushed a bang away from Yugi's face, his fingers lingering on the soft cheek before he stood up, his own eyes glowing with the power of the time vortex.

For a moment he stood there, contemplating the possibilities, all the wonders he could achieve. It felt good to know that he could do all those things, save all those people and planets. And then he smiled, taking a deep breath before exhaling, streams of gold leaking from his mouth. Even after all of that, he would give this power up. Part of it was his own pride, demanding that he do these things himself instead of relying on a mystic power. Another part of it was his own fear of the time vortex, something that had possessed since he was eight years old, all of those centuries ago.

The Pharaoh closed his eyes as the last of the energy left him, a smile still on his face as he heard the doors to the TARDIS shut, his ship sending him a faint hum. Everything was back as it should be. Everything was fixed. The TARDIS wouldn't suffer any harm and neither would Yugi. He opened his eyes, nearly falling as his head spun, staring at the TARDIS as a faint burning sensation ran through his veins.

He sighed wistfully before shaking his head. It was a small price to pay in the end, especially with almost everyone saved. Almost everyone and the one person who mattered.

The Pharaoh walked forward unsteadily, pausing for a moment to wait for the pounding of his head to stop before kneeling down at looking at Yugi, his fingers brushing over the young man's cheeks without his permission before they settled on Yugi's pulse point. He sighed when he felt a strong pulse. Yugi was going to be alright.

He slipped his arms under Yugi, standing up slowly with his precious burden before moving to the TARDIS, pushing the slightly ajar doors completely open with his shoulder. The Pharaoh looked around before setting Yugi on the captain's chair, watching as his companion gave a soft whimper and curled up. He forced himself to step away and walk back towards the console, stiffening as something invaded his senses. Someone had become fixed in time, someone that shouldn't have. He shuddered, moving back to the console as his instinct came over.

It was wrong, so he would run from it. It was the only thing to do. Confronting the thing would just hurt; the wrongness that would come from whatever it was would literally hurt. The Pharaoh had been exposed to such a thing at the Academy and he never wanted to be in the presence of something fixed in time again.

The Pharaoh reached out and began to send the TARDIS into the time vortex, flinching at the burn that was continuously running through his body. He gritted his teeth and ignored the pain, forcing himself to keep moving. He could stop when the TARDIS was somewhere safe, somewhere where he could look after Yugi without worrying about any interruptions. He glanced over at where his companion was curled up, pausing in his actions to watch Yugi.

It was still worth it.

* * *

There was nothing but blackness, darkness all around him. And he was still conscious for it, or his version of conscious. He couldn't remember if he had ever been unconscious, or if there was even a sensation for such a thing. He had just always been here. Of course, there were past memories, things that were faded and old, things that had happened in another life. Almost to another person. But it was still him.

Time was another thing that didn't exist here, just one of those conceptions from his past life that didn't make sense in this new world. So he just existed, passing through his new dark world without much of a care. And his motion wasn't searching for anything; he wasn't looking for another place. He just knew that this was it. This was the only place he could be. And it was just lonely, especially after those memories full of those people. All of those amazing people.

He perked up as something invaded the darkness. It wasn't a slow invasion, but it just sprung into existence, an arm flying up to shield his eyes from the bright golden light. He squinted, trying to see the silhouette of the person in the light; sure that it was someone familiar. He blinked and then stood up, beginning to walk towards the person as they continued to stand there, realizing that the person was shorter than he was.

The person smiled at him, looking at him with glowing golden eyes. He blinked, something telling him that it was wrong, or the eye color was wrong. This person had never had golden irises when he had known them, whenever that was. Still, he was happy to have someone else in the darkness with him.

He was about to speak when the person reached out and rested a hand over the left side of his chest, not breaking eye contact with him. "I bring life."

The glow around the person intensified, but he was distracted by the sudden jolt that ran through him, flinching before letting out a gasp that was supposed to be a scream. Around him, the darkness was consumed by the golden light, ripped apart until there was nothing but golden light and this person. He struggled to keep his eyes open, trying to speak to ask what was going on but found that he was unable to, his eyes falling shut as the person faded from sight.

He only got a single moment of peace, the glow fading around him before there was another jolt of electricity through him, making him gasp and open his eyes. He shook his head, panting for breath as he looked around the corridor that he was in, staring at the grey walls as he memories trickled back.

He had been buying time and then…the Daleks.

Duke groaned and braced himself against the wall, using it to push himself up from the ground. All his muscles protested at first, slowly warming back up and allowing him to move. He still rested against the wall for another moment, panting for breath before pushing away from it and staggering into the empty corridor in front of him.

There was nothing left of the Daleks, just little piles of grey dust. He frowned and knelt down, running his fingers through the pile of dust and jumping as he saw some golden bits of light drift out, touching his skin and shocking him. Duke drew his hand back, staring at the bits of light that with incomprehension.

This all had to be a dream. He had been exterminated, and no one survived that. But here he was, alive and breathing. And it had something to do with that golden light.

He rubbed his fingers together, trying to rid himself of the sensation of the dust on his fingers. He really didn't like the idea that he might accidentally ingest bits of Dalek if the dust stuck to him. Duke shook his head, looking around before reaching for the device on his wrist. His first priority was to check on the rest of the station. Duke turned and jogged down the corridor, bursting into the control room and staring at it.

The first thing that he noticed was that the TARDIS was back, which meant that the Pharaoh had retrieved Yugi from wherever he had sent him or the young man had figured out a way to get back. Either way, Yugi would be really mad at the Pharaoh. But that didn't explain why they weren't out here unless…

Duke chuckled to himself, picking his way around the room. His mirth disappeared as he saw more of the dust piles on the floor and the Delta Wave trigger knocked over on the floor. He scowled and walked over to the box, squatting down to see that the Delta Wave had just been turned on, but never activated.

Feeling nervous, Duke shut the wave off before hurrying over to the console, focusing the sensors on where the Dalek ships had been, surprised to see that there was nothing, not a hint that they had even been here. He scowled, checking to see that there was nothing blocking the signal, but there wasn't. The Daleks were gone.

"How-" He spun around as he heard the grinding noise of the TARDIS, watching in shock as the time machine dematerialized, pushing away from the console at the last minute to dash across the room. "Wait!"

But he was too late, the time machine was gone.

Duke shook his head, stumbling back a step and looking around him. He was the only one left on the satellite and the TARDIS had just left him. He shivered, suddenly wondering if something was wrong. He was sure that Yugi wouldn't allow the Pharaoh to do something like that if he knew that Duke was still here. But no one knew that he was alive. To the best of both of their knowledge, he was dead.

He shook his head and reached for his device, leaning against the nearest metal structure to mess with it, trying to remember the right way to activate it. Once, he had been able to travel through time with it. But, recently, it had started to act up, probably aging. But he couldn't just get a new one, especially since he had stopped working for the Time Agency, he would just have to keep fixing up this one. Duke sighed and finished the adjustments, closing his eyes and pressing the button that would activate it, hoping that he would end up somewhere where he could find the Pharaoh.

Duke had a moment of complete stillness, sighing when he thought that the device had finally broken completely. He shook his head and went to take a step, yelping when he suddenly disappeared, thrown back in time.

* * *

Yugi groaned and blinked, pushing himself from the softness of the captain's chair. He found himself staring at the TARDIS console with a pounding headache, shifting so he could cradle his head in his hands. "Ow."

"So, you're awake." He looked up slowly, moving carefully so he couldn't make his head hurt more, blinking when he saw the Pharaoh leaned over the console close to him. "Good. Remember anything?"

"Remember…" Yugi pushed himself off the chair, swaying as he tried to gain his balance, frowning as he tried to figure out what the Pharaoh meant. Then his eyes widened, the young man staring at the Time Lord as he remembered.

He had been sent back home for some stupid reason, but he had worked to come back. He had been working on opening the TARDIS but…he couldn't remember anything after that; just this song, a song with two parts. Yugi rubbed his forehead, shaking his head. "Singing?"

The Pharaoh laughed, Yugi scowling. Of course the Time Lord would laugh at him for that, but that still didn't explain how he had gotten here. "The Daleks."

"Gone. I finished them off." The Pharaoh glanced at him for a moment, the Time Lord distracted by something on the console, staring at it with a look of concentration.

Yugi stared at him for a moment before turning around, looking around the TARDIS in the dim hope that the time machine would give him some clues to how he got to be here. He sighed to himself, finally shrugging. He would have to get the answers out of the Pharaoh, a process that he did not look forward to. The Time Lord would probably delight in drawing out the torture as long as possible. "Alright, I'll bite. How did I get back here?"

"Yugi…" He turned back around to see what nonsense the Pharaoh would come up with, surprised when the Time Lord looked at him. He was immediately reminded of the hologram, the raw emotion that the Pharaoh was displaying throwing him off. Just as suddenly as it was there, it was gone, leaving Yugi wondering what the Pharaoh had been trying to tell him without speaking.

The Time Lord shook his head, staring back down at the console. "How does Barcelona sound? The planet, not the city?"

"Since when do you ask me where we go?"

The Pharaoh rolled his eyes. "Since this is a special occasion. You don't defeat a whole fleet of Daleks everyday."

"You did that." Yugi thought he saw the Pharaoh shake his head before the Time Lord began to move around the console, setting the coordinates for the planet. He cautiously approached the console, making sure to move out of the way as the Pharaoh passed close to him. "Pharaoh?"

He was greeted by a smile, Yugi stepping backwards until he hit one of the columns, staring at the Time Lord. "What's wrong?"

"I can't smile?"

"You normally don't."

The Pharaoh rolled his eyes. "That shows how well you know me."

The Time Lord suddenly stopped, clinging to the console before he doubled over, stumbling backwards and clutching his stomach, his eyes closed. There was a bright flare of golden light, Yugi trembling at the sight before darting forward. "Pharaoh!"

"No." He stopped at the order, staring at the Time Lord as he leaned back against the railing, panting for breath. Yugi shifted in place before wrapping his arms around himself to resist the temptation to reach out and touch the Time Lord. The Pharaoh glanced up at him. "Don't come any closer."

"But…you're hurt. How can I help?"

"I've got it under control." The Pharaoh had unwrapped one arm from his stomach, using it to keep him upright by holding onto the railing.

Yugi took in the picture before shaking his head. "No you don't. Come on, we'll get you to the med-room and we'll have you looked over."

"It wouldn't help." The Pharaoh gasped the words out, a sweat breaking out on his face.

"Then what can I do?"

"Stay back."

Yugi stared at the Time Lord before shaking his head, feeling completely useless. There had to be something that he could do. He didn't want to stand here and watch the Pharaoh suffer through something. "W-what happened?"

"I-" The Pharaoh cut himself off to take a deep breath of air, gritting his teeth. "I absorbed the time vortex. It's burning up every cell in my body."

"You-" Yugi shook his head, unable to comprehend what was going on. The Pharaoh had been working on the Delta Wave, and the TARDIS had been far away. How had he even gotten to the time vortex, Yugi didn't know. But he did know that when the cells were killed, that meant that organs were shutting down. "You're dying?"

The Pharaoh nodded, Yugi shaking his head at the motion. "You can't do that!"

"Yugi-"

"There has to be something! You're the last of your kind!"

The Pharaoh looked up at him, staring for a while before he gave a slow nod. "I'm working on it, but it's a difficult process."

"Process?"

"Regeneration. It means…" The Pharaoh looked up at him, giving him the same searching look before shaking his head. "I'll see you around, Yugi."

"Pharaoh…" Yugi stared at him before nodding, giving his own smile. He was sure that the Pharaoh would explain as soon as he was able, and Yugi was willing to wait. He trusted the Time Lord. "See you."

They stared at each other for a moment more before a sudden explosion of gold light came from the Pharaoh, his head forced backward as light poured from wherever there was exposed skin. Yugi gasped and stumbled back, closing his eyes and turning towards the column, away from the bright light. He trembled against his column as he waited for the light to stop, tensing as he heard someone gasp, but it wasn't the Pharaoh. He didn't recognize the voice.

Hesitantly, he peeked out from under his arm, standing upright as he stared at the person who was standing by the railing. Yugi tensed at the unfamiliar person, staring with his mouth open as he tried to figure out what had gone on.

The man was wearing the same clothes that the Pharaoh had been wearing, a black long-sleeved shirt and pants with black boots. Over top of that was the sleeveless white trench coat. But the clothes, instead of fitting the way they used to, nearly hung off his frame.

This man wasn't as tall as the Pharaoh, and he was skinnier, built more like Yugi. But, unlike Yugi, he was tan. The young man swallowed and glanced up at the stranger's face, taking a step back in surprise. If he didn't know better, he would think that they were twins, but there were subtle differences between them.

The man had high cheekbones and a more regal look, while Yugi still looked a bit immature. Their hair was just the same too, except the man had blonde bangs that stuck up into his black hair. And then there were his eyes, Yugi shuddered as he looked at them. Instead of the deep blue that he had gotten used to, this man had crimson eyes, eyes that were looking down at the hands that he had pulled away from the railing.

The man blinked after a moment, a smile crossing his face before he looked up at Yugi, the young man catching his breath as he found himself the focus of those crimson eyes, not sure what to do. "Alright then, where were we heading?"

Yugi just stared, the man glancing at the console before looking back over at Yugi. "Oh, I remember, Barcelona."

Yugi found himself staring at the man as he walked over to the console, staring at the view screen before beginning to move around, growling and kicking the trench coat out of the way once before talking it off entirely and throwing it over the captain's chair. As much as he wanted to, Yugi couldn't move from his place by the column, unable to act.

The man paused in his movement, looking back up at Yugi and tipping his head slightly to the side. "Yugi?"

There it was again, that deep voice that sounded nothing like his Pharaoh, but it seemed to suit this man. Yugi shivered and pressed himself against the column, hoping that the real Pharaoh would come back and save him from this imposer. He didn't feel safe anymore.

The man pushed away from the console, walking over to him with a gentle smile on his face. Yugi found that he couldn't move, just standing in place as he man reached up and gently cupped his cheek. "Yugi, what's wrong?"

"Who-who are you?"

The man stared at him for a moment before shaking his head. "Don't you know?"

"N-no."

"Yugi," the man laughed, the sound making Yugi tense instead of relax. "I'm the Pharaoh."

He stared at the man, wondering what was going on. The man simply smiled at him, stepping away to return to steering the TARDIS. Yugi managed to stay upright for a moment longer before sinking to the ground, curling up on himself.

That man was not the Pharaoh, he was not _his_ Pharaoh.

Somehow, Yugi had lost the man that he had come to love.

TO BE CONTINUED…


End file.
